Signs of Empathy

About a year ago, Westwood resident Anne Marie McIntyre sent me an email about her idea for "emotionally-intelligent" or "empathetic" signs and I posted this article. She was motivated to do something about more effectively reminding drivers of the importance of respecting the speed limits and was inspired by a book, A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. She observed what Needham had done already, then set out to make this happen in Westwood.

She wrote and received a WEF grant for the Westwood Empathetic Signs Thurston Initiative (W.E.S.T.I). Through this generous grant funding, 8th grade art students at Thurston Middle School (in collaboration with Ms. Maribeth Amber, Thurston art teacher) designed empathetic street signs that are now installed in the Hanlon school zone. Mrs. McIntyre coordinated with Principal Allison Borchers of Thurston Middle School, Sergeant Paul Sicard, Town Administrator Mike Jaillet and the Westwood Educational Foundation to have her vision come to fruition. Additionally, she worked with the Westwood Department of Public Works who provided the sign posts and installed them this past week.

She plans to work with Thurston Middle School again to expand the sign project with other schools and anyone else who may have an interest. (Editor's note: thanks to Hanlon Principal Beth Herlihy who wrote up an announcement about this in the Hanlon newsletter that I am am using here.)