Remote-Hybrid-Outdoor-with stadium seating.

We just returned from our "workcation", where we spent a week digging ditches, weeding, and roughing it in a tent with no plumbing.  We returned to discussions of will NYC Public  Schools open?  And it's not looking good....

I also went on my first bike ride since our return, and rode first, past lots of bars and restaurants creating outdoor spaces, some makeshift lots consisting of random pallets and traffic cones, and others much more elaborate with plants and matching decor.    

Then I continued on my Western bike loop around Flushing Meadows and Laguardia Airport and thought of an "outside the box"  idea about school...  Since Covid is transmitted primarily indoors in crowded spaces for prolonged amounts of time, why not take schools outdoors? As I rode past Citi Field, I wondered what is the seating capacity of that huge empty space? 

Answer: Citi Field capacity= 41,922

And that's just the seats in the bleachers, so if you set up seats on the field, a few schools could occupy a huge outdoor space like that until at least mid October when it starts getting cold.

Here are the numbers for other outdoor spaces which are currently not being used at least until the end of the year as most sporting events have been canceled: 

Arthur Ashe capacity = 23,771

Yankee Stadium capacity = 54,251

Icahn Stadium capacity = 5000

Forest Hills Stadium capacity = 14,000

MCU Stadium (Coney Island) capacity= 7,000

New York City is also a place full of parks and green spaces.  Here are the list of the largest public parks by size:

Pelham Bay Park, Bronx= 2,772 acres

Greenbelt, Staten Island = 2,316 acres

Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx= 1,146 acres

Flushing Meadows Park, Queens= 897 acres

Central Park, Manhattan = 843 acres

Freshkills Park, Staten Island = 813 acres

Marine Park, Brooklyn = 798 acres

Bronx Park, Bronx = 718 acres

Alley Pond Park, Queens = 655 acres

Forest Park, Queens = 544 acres.

and in addition to all these parks, every neighborhood has playgrounds and public parks that could easily be utilized- all with water fountains and bathrooms (probably cleaner than most middle school bathrooms according to Hiro).  If restaurants and bars can construct outdoor seating for 10-20 people within a matter of days, I don't see why the DOE couldn't do the same. 

There was a movement for creating schools in the great outdoors that began in Wisconsin in the 1920's and never really took off.  The children in younger grades can really benefit from learning outdoors, and as we dive more and more into technology, something this radical could be a refreshing change.  Perhaps we can rethink what education is and instead of adding more technology and hand sanitizers to the mix, retreating back to washing our hands with soap and water and engaging with nature could get our kids back to learning about what really matters.