During the pandemic the NYC Parks Recreation Centers were closed to the public and all schools were closed. NYC Parks reopened some centers in 2020 as sites where school children could come and take part in remote learning. Recreation staff who pre-pandemic were fitness instructors and aquatics teachers became one-on-one assistants with the children for many months as schools were remote only. The Parkies helped the kids with their online lessons, and provided fitness, exercise, and art classes.
Our interviews on episode #4:
- Caitlin Wilken, recreation specialist
- Teresa Mangan, recreation center manager
We record our shows in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at McCarren Park Play Center in the Media Education Lab. Our team is using the Media Lab and Parks volunteers to share our history with listeners, presenting some of the more than 100 oral history interviews with Parkies recorded in 2022.
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On this show we explore the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 and how we experienced the shutdown of many parts of New York City. As schools and offices closed, playgrounds were locked, and the fear set in. NYC Parks kept running. On this episode we meet veteran Parkies who faced new challenges every day.