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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rachel Wallman, Director of Education at Green-Wood Cemetery
6:09:00
ยท
120 sec
Rachel Wallman, Director of Education at Green-Wood Cemetery, presented testimony on the educational importance of the cemetery to Brooklyn's landscape. She highlighted Green-Wood's historical significance, accessibility, and educational programs, while requesting funding to expand services for Title I schools and support programs for bereaved children.
- Green-Wood Cemetery hosts 299 school field trips annually, serving over 9,000 students
- The cemetery is seeking $50,000 from the Brooklyn Delegation to serve more Title I schools and offer free professional development for teachers
- Green-Wood is developing a free support program for bereaved children and their caregivers, starting in 2026
Rachel Wallman
6:09:00
Good afternoon chair Stevens.
6:09:01
My name is Rachel Wallman and I am the director of education at the Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
6:09:06
Greenwood is a one hundred and eighty seven year old active cemetery, so you might be wondering why am I here right now.
6:09:12
Well, Greenwood is in fact vital to the educational landscape of Brooklyn.
6:09:17
Some fun facts about us.
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Greenwood is the city's first large public green space before Central Park.
6:09:22
We are a national historic landmark.
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We host an SYEP internship every summer.
6:09:27
We're opening a new education and welcome center in 2026, and we taught 299 school field trips to more than 9,000 students in 2024.
6:09:36
Twenty DOE schools are within a half mile walk of a Greenwood entrance.
6:09:41
And it's good that Greenwood is so accessible because this is the real fun fact, not so fun fact, we are the only major cultural institution in Brooklyn, south of Prospect Park.
6:09:51
Self guided admission to Greenwood is free three hundred and sixty five days a year, but we need funding to make guided programs more available to schools everywhere, even those in our own backyard.
6:10:00
Teachers and students love Greenwood.
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Some classes come to visit the graves of fascinating figures from George Washington's dentist to Jean Michel Basquiat.
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Others are exploring 478 acres of urban nature, or they come to study world class architecture.
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More than 50% of visiting teachers have brought classes more than three years in a row.
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And we never forget that we're a cemetery.
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Greenwood Educators receive grief sensitivity training to help kids with big feelings during programs.
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And this is a key feature of our work.
6:10:28
We have actually recently received funding from the New York Life Foundation and National Alliance for Children's Grief to build a free support program for bereaved children and their caregivers starting in 2026.
6:10:39
For this year's budget, Greenwood is seeking $50,000 from the Brooklyn Delegation, and this funding will help us serve more title one schools and offer free professional development with CTLE credit to local teachers.
6:10:51
And most crucially, it will help us normalize conversations about death and grief for more students.
6:10:56
Thank you for listening and we look forward to working with the city council toward our shared goals.