Fun in the neighborhood

By Grace, Age 13

School had shut down, and I was left with a rather estranged community in my neighborhood. I realized that the closest way I could get to reviving back these “pre-COVID” days were to being back our neighborhood’s vivacity.  

I then started a book club on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and gathered four girls from nearby buildings around my kitchen table. Since they were all too shy to truly open, I took this opportunity to incorporate more action into our learning throughout our whole neighborhood. We doodled together and had spikeball games after each meeting. Our activities eventually extended towards the whole neighborhood, finally weaving the community together.  

usy school life and started to make time for walks around the woods, chats with those in our community, and playtime with childhood friends.

After deepening our neighborhood’s connections, I no longer ignored my neighborhood because of my busy school life and started to make time for walks around the woods, chats with those in our community, and playtime with childhood friends. Even after school has resumed, I was still actively involved in my community – whether chatting with elders or trimming the bushes with our local gardener. I came to understand that it doesn’t always need to be a large community to make a difference. It’s one with a strong relationship that makes the potential endless.