In all likelihood, when you think of a neighborhood, you think of homes and tree-lined streets. Maybe you think of apartment buildings and parks, too. You think of people sharing a community, living side by side, and about knowing the names of the people that live on either side of your home. But where do those people send their children to school? Where did those people likely attend school? If you live in Bedford Park, the answer to these questions is likely Education Mile.
Bedford Park is a community in the truest sense of the word, and in true community fashion, has dedicated an entire section of the neighborhood to the pursuits of education. Education Mile, which runs along the Jerome Park Reservoir, consists of several high schools, elementary schools, and even Lehman College—formerly called Hunter College of the Bronx. The three high schools along Education Mile are a mixture of specialty and regular public schools, with one specifically chartered for science and mathematics emphases. Lehman College doubles as the High School for American Studies, also located along Education Mile, and serves thousands of other students in the area seeking a college education. Nearby schools near Education Mile include private institutions, such as the Academy of Mount St. Ursula, which is the oldest all-girls school in New York State.
With Bedford Park’s close proximity to the reservoir, each of these campuses is tree-lined, grassy, and have a pleasant atmosphere being so closely embedded in a natural setting. They stand as a stark contrast to the stereotypical image of New York schools as urban concrete boxes, with asphalt and chain link fences guarding their perimeters. The reflect the greater neighborhood of Bedford Park, and the name “Education Mile” suggests that city and regional planners, residents, and other founders of the community took great care to make sure their children, youth, and young adults had places to access their educational goals.
Tutors in Bedford Park are likely the products of Education Mile, and also work with many of its current students. They participate in this unique, communal sense of the value of education with diligence and patience. Their clients, regardless of age, status, or natural ability, can thrive under their service, often along Education Mile itself in school libraries and study rooms. Bedford Park is collectively enriched by the efforts of its tutors and students alike, but this is nothing compared to the individual satisfaction that comes from turning bad grades around and finding self-confidence in academic success after working side by side with a peer.