1. education
2. school

Community Input Meeting Responses
Community Coalition of Baldwin Mission Statement:
A strategic partnership working to enrich the economic, academic and social life
in Baldwin
Goal 1: To create a thriving downtown filled with social and recreational
opportunities
Strategies
 Attract new businesses
o Expand on community clean-ups, painting
o Commercial “facelift”
o More restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlor
o More parking spaces, spaces for bikes
o More bookstores (Barnes & Noble)
o Wegmans
o Entertainment (laser tag, arcade, etc.)
o Christmas Tree Shop
o Trader Joe’s
o Artragious
o Attract family-oriented businesses
o Attract larger businesses (Kohls, Michaels) that are non-competitive with any
local businesses
o Attract children-centered businesses (crafts, birthday parties, etc.)
o Baldwin Restaurant Week
o Commerce Promotion Week
o Vehicle to promote a “shop local” mentality
o Business student discount cards
o Continue to partner with Town of Hempstead
o Continue to partner with Baldwin Chamber of Commerce
 Design a pedestrian-friendly hub
o Traffic study – Stanton to Merrick on Grand
o Transportation/trolley north/south to train station and downtown
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o Pocket parks created and maintained by students
o Open up intersection of Grand and Merrick (traffic circle)
o Street fairs
o Dance on the street
o Pedestrian mall
o Outdoor bistros and cafes
Create green space/waterfront
o Water access in Baldwin Park
o Open Coes Neck Preserve
o Improve Baldwin Park
o Reopen Baldwin Beach Club for the community like Nautical Mile
Establish an arts community
o Baldwin as a destination for art, music, theater productions
o Concerts, outside amphitheater
o Community theater, music group
o Cultural center for art and music
o Opportunity to showcase high school, local musical and artistic talent – venues,
bars, etc.
o Murals
o Sculptures in pocket parks
Encourage young people to live in Baldwin
o Improve LIRR station to be eye-catching, add shops on platform
o Affordable sustainable housing
o Develop around the train station – street festival, farmers market
Promote BID/Zoning
o Neighborhood Watch
o Public safety
o Code enforcement
o Uniform zoning to create a consistent aesthetic
o Business Improvement District (BID) – pay a little more but control
streetscape/landscaping, i.e., tax mandate
o Political pressure to follow through on development promises
Goal 2: To aspire to academic success for community residents of all ages
Strategies
 Enrich academic programs
o Add STEAM to Career Academy program – Arts, Performing Arts, Music, Vocal,
Drama
o Universal mandated pre-K – support for new parents before admission
o Establish Siemens Competition program
o SAT prep – more online resources
o Use Khan Academy online resource
o Make own Khan Academy so HS students can teach MS students – Moodle
o Use open educational resources, distance learning programs
o Vet the SAT prep courses to find the best and be district endorsed
o Additional academic support for home-schooled students
o Additional vocational programs
o Create competitions/debate clubs between Baldwin schools to build pride
o Participate in academic challenges such as Odyssey of the Mind or Future
Problem Solvers (FPS) as after-school activities
o Establish elementary honors program
o Establish elementary STEM program
o Bring back more arts at elementary level
o Increase number of outside guest speakers and program (PTA Arts in Education)
o Replace books with IPads
o Language immersion or dual language
 Expand community partnerships
o Workplace mentoring visits
o Reach out to community professionals to mentor and guide students in
Academies more frequently and one on one
o Business owners as mentors
o Enhancing the School-to-Career program at the high school to include more local
businesses and groups
o Establish better and more relationships with universities and colleges
o Include district students in literary clinics and practicums of local graduate
students
o Survey talents of community (i.e., sign language interpreters)
o Information expert exchange within Baldwin - tutoring/teachers and students,
community members
o Student projects for real business applications, such as creating a computer app
for a small local business
o Expand BHS Academy programs into the community (law, STEM, engineering,
medical and business)
o Help senior citizens celebrate in the academic success of our students through
concerts for seniors, book buddies
o Filter senior talents as district volunteers through District Office including
Spanish speaking and tutoring help, weekends, nights
o Teens mentoring senior citizens – technology education, reading
 Support after-school programs
o Afterschool Homework Help – starts too early at Baldwin Library, hard to
transport students there when parents work; better coordinate with library;
have homework staff in schools; coordinate with after-school programs in the
schools
o Create multidisciplinary extra help tutoring center, not just one subject
o Reach out to religious organizations to help with homework or tutor
o Afterschool recreation program
o Library media specialist, science labs and extended hours at elementary schools
o Spanish, ESL, language included at elementary level
o Strengthen partnership with Baldwin Public Library
 Provide adult education programs
o ESL, GED, college prep classes for adults
o Parent classes to help their high school and middle school children with math
o Continued Common Core workshops for parents
o Bring back Continuing Education – need budget
o Reach out to Spanish churches to help Spanish-speaking parents to read
documents and legal papers
o 50+ Club/mentors
Goal 3: To foster a sense of family among the “citizens” of the Baldwin
community
Strategies
 Establish a community center
o Senior center run by high school juniors and seniors
o Career path
o Youth Council, Youth Action Group – voices of children, run by youth
o Recreation center, YMCA
o Art club
o Babysitting, play dates
o “Best Buddies”
o Big Brother, Big Sister
o Confidential discussion groups for new moms
o After-school activities
o Senior volunteers
 Promote community activities
o Baldwin Pride Day
o Local organizations
o Picnic
o Culture Day
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Public Service Day
Zoo in Baldwin Park
Bike paths through parks and Milburn Creek
Clean up green fields on Wood Park Drive
Unity Day – local community groups, day in the community
Promote hidden jewels
Field trips to sites in Baldwin
Revitalize beach club
Community garden
High school art
Block party in Baldwin Harbor
Giant garage sale/block parties
Drive-in theater
Radio Baldwin
Student-run community TV station
Neighborhood drive, charity
Baldwin walk
Relay for Life
Baldwin Palooza
Talent show
Have a color – Have Baldwin Pride Day
Annual family bash at Baldwin Park for everyone
Pool in the park
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Diversity, culture – dinner at people’s homes
Signs to promote activities in store windows
Restaurants having monthly “mingle”
Real estate agents promoting Baldwin and events
Historical Society
Rent trolley for tours of Baldwin
 Improve coordination of services
o Security
o Neighborhood Watch
o Start at block level, “block captain”
o Local government – incorporated village
o Carpools
o Parent mentors for college application process as resource
o Volunteer opportunities for families
o Singing at nursing homes
o New neighbor program
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Central clearinghouse of resources
Bring in businesses to become involved
Join with library
Email
Mentoring programs
Adopt a Grandparent
Fire department visiting schools
Civic association groups come together
Coordinate activities of all organization
Baldwin community web page
Enhancing existing publications
Advertise at station, advertise more – Newsday, Herald
Prime Time
Town Hall meeting (not school oriented)
Strong partnership/sports activities (PAL, etc.)
Outreach for families experiencing difficulties
For the approximately 1,000 unregistered/non-operating cars sitting on private
property, create a Special Car Recycling Amnesty Program (SCRAP) in which the
town can provide tow trucks to remove all junk cars from anyone’s property who
requests it, free of charge. The cars can be sold for scrap metal to fund
programs.
Resources from churches and school social workers
South Nassau Communities Hospital Mental Health Association (SNCHMHA)
Atlantic Anglers Association – fishing and gaming lessons/outings
Include families without children in schools
Include private schools
Goal 4: To communicate and promote all the success stories of the Baldwin
community
Strategies
 Increase communication outlets
o Baldwin Patch website
o Baldwin App
o Blackboard Connect (Connect Ed) extend to Community Ed
o Extending Blackboard Connect to groups outside of Baldwin School District
o Link off website for access to info, link to community resources
o District-wide communication via phone and email
o Banners on Grand Avenue
o Communication with St. Christopher’s School and preschools
o Recognition of student accomplishments (playground at Brookside)
o Use Survey Monkey to track trends with students and community
o Monthly community information session
o Ask Herald to highlight community groups
o Herald – reach out for people to join
o Partnership with local media and student publications
o Superintendent’s blog
o Person who can be called and who will share good news
o Publicist – contact with Newsday
o Positive Newsday contact
o Good news in larger papers/media
o Share existing school newspapers
o Social network
o Social media for all ages
o Social media tie in to promote new events and businesses
o Use texting to communicate with students
o Need to brand
o Word of the Day, “Baldwin Fun Facts”
o Radio/TV station use media classes
o Public access channels
o Community TV channels – Fios, Cable TV
o Live BoE meetings
o Electronic bulletin board
o LED sign by the community garden
o Baldwin History Book – sell it $$
o Open house in the school district
o Open School Week
o Current flyer of facts
o Baldwin brochure
o Advertising blitz
o We need to remain positive – email blast, mass media, social media, FB, Twitter
 Optimize community partnerships
o Advertise on LED signs, i.e. American Legion
o Use of library or other public gathering spaces
o Use of library community board
o High school, middle school students mentoring elementary students
o Develop a student newspaper combined with elementary, middle school and
high school students
o Student reporters, photographers visit schools
o Partner with retailers
o Build pride with students – Volunteer of the Month
o Invite local business owners in to talk to students, restaurant owners talk to
home economics classes
o Video production class work with local real estate firms
o Get students involved with community groups, community groups share info
with high school
o Celebrate the community businesses – Appreciation Day
o Alumni events, meet and greet
o Increase recent graduate participation in the BFE
o Communication with businesses about upcoming events
o Make sure businesses get school calendar, increase events listed
o Music and arts annual event with local artists and students
o Building liaisons with community – faculty, administration, PTA, students