This summer, students at Auer Avenue School learned important and timely community history, exploring the past of Moody Pool and future of Moody Park. Community leaders and longtime residents visited their classroom, sharing stories and memories of the pool with the students, all of whom were too young to have experienced the pool while it was still open.

As part of the project, students worked on their interviewing, writing, and photography skills. They even had the opportunity to visit the construction site to watch the process of a new park coming to life in their neighborhood. This gallery consists of photographs from this excursion and all photographs were taken by participating 3rd-6th graders. The students’ research will also be featured in an informational booklet, coming later this summer.

The grand opening of the new Moody Park is scheduled for August 20th, 2015, with children’s games, refreshments and entertainment beginning at 2pm. The official ribbon cutting ceremony begins at 4pm, followed with a concert by AhVantSoul with Jon Pierre & Katt Webb.

Background on Moody Pool & Moody Park

Moody Pool was once the Amani neighborhood’s most important social gathering place, but it’s doors closed in 2002. While many plans for the pool were proposed and debated, the building sat vacant until it was demolished in 2013. In recent years, with rejuvenated energy and focus on the part of residents and community organizations, including Amani United, Dominican Center for Women, COA, Friends of Moody Park and others, plans for a new park have finally come to life.