Mickey Guyton stressed the importance of school zone safety for North Nashville students at an event sponsored by 3M Tuesday.

The event was the kickoff of a project by 3M to update school zones at 100 schools in 23 countries by 2024, including 10 in the U.S. 

Robert Churchwell Museum Magnet Elementary School was the first school on that list, and its school zone will be updated in May. Assistant Principal Noelle Taylor said that goes a long way in letting the students in North Nashville know that their safety and education are valued. 

Opinion:For Tennessee’s students, proposed education funding formula makes the grade

More:Metro Nashville school board opts out of overseeing future state-approved charter schools

“Sometimes our students, and even the staff, feel like we’re the forgotten ones,” Taylor said. “We’ve had a lot of publicity in the past, but sometimes it feels like that spotlight is here for a moment, and then it goes away. But that new school zone will stay; that’s permanent and that will continue to impact our kids.”

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationally, Nashville ranks 24th in traffic deaths per 100,000 residents.

President of 3M’s transportation safety division Dan Chen said collaboration is key on a project like this. 3M will use its reflective materials technology to join forces with Collier Engineering and the Civic Design Center to re-imagine the school zone and parking lot of the school, making it safer and more visible for pedestrians. 

Chen said the school in North Nashville was the perfect first choice because it is a historically underserved area where a small change can make a big difference for students. 

“You have to listen to everybody,” Chen said. “It has to be designed for the people who matter most.”

That theme of collaboration was present at the event.

Students worked on an art piece with local muralist Jamal Jenkins, who is known in the art world as Woke3. Jenkins visited with students to talk about staying safe both in and out of school in the weeks leading up to the event and helped them plan what they would contribute to the mural, which will be displayed outside the school for families, staff and students to enjoy on their way to school. 

Jenkins said he wants the students to feel inspired to promote safety in their community. He used a lighthouse as a symbol in his painting and urged the students to think about what they would add to that backdrop.

“We look at education as a lighthouse,” Jenkins said. “Education helps you find your path, helps you learn, helps you grow.”

Guyton said she was excited to see Jenkins promoting art with the students. “What type of art do you do?” one child asked Guyton while she was speaking to the students about staying safe on their way to school. 

“I’m a singer,” Guyton replied with a beaming smile. “I sing country music. Yes, Black people sing country music. I’m here so that you all, people who look like me, can do it, too.”

Guyton said art is what inspires people and keeps them going through hard times. She said that in a world that prioritizes making money, art is especially important for those who feel forgotten in the midst of rapid growth and development. 

"I think the way we can turn this world around is prioritizing our underserved communities and lifting them up," Guyton said. "I think it’s our duty in Nashville to make sure we serve every community equally. Let’s serve them and make sure that they are taken care of."

Sports:Bernard Childress' 'weak spot for kids' drove him to succeed with TSSAA

More:News Conference announcing funding for mental health services in the courts

Reach reporter Molly Davis at mdavis2@gannett.com or on Twitter @mollym_davis.