Pulaski Academy & Central School District

Pulaski High School Student Government members recently explored real-world civic planning as they learned about the Village of Pulaski’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).

Senior Project Planner Emma Phillips visited the high school to share how the Village secured state funding to revitalize downtown Pulaski and how the planned projects will strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life for the community.

During the interactive session, students participated in small-group activities designed to mirror municipal decision-making. They reviewed proposed projects submitted for DRI funding and discussed which initiatives they felt would be most impactful for the downtown area. Using DRI criteria, which included cost efficiency, economic and quality-of-life benefits, readiness for implementation and visual impact, students evaluated each proposal and prioritized their choices.

Groups also assigned “superlatives” such as “Most Transformative” or “Most Likely to Succeed,” encouraging students to think critically about the potential outcomes of each project.

“This experience gave our students a unique opportunity to involve themselves in their local community,” said Margaret Gilligan-Cacchione, who is a school counselor and Student Government advisor at the high school. “We’re so proud to be able to provide our students with valuable opportunities like this.”