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New York City initiated the “Floating Classroom” project, allowing students to take boats to learn marine science on the spot in New York Harbor, expanding urban education and marine ecological experience through water courses.
According to the New York Post,new york city It is expected that public school students will take classes by boat next year. New York City has launched a new “floating classroom” project that allows students to take the NYC Ferry to learn about urban water ecology on New York Harbor and learn marine science through personal observation, turning the entire city into a classroom.
The project is expected to allow thousands of students in grades K to 12 to take the ferry during off-peak hours on weekdays, allowing them to embark on an interactive learning journey of 90 minutes each way.
The “C School” plan was officially announced Monday, with officials saying it reflects the idea that “the entire city can become a classroom.”
Jenny Pak, Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC),brooklyn “Some of the most meaningful learning often happens outside the campus walls,” Bridge Park said.
This floating classroom is a partnership between the Billion Oyster Project, New York Ferries, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Hornblower Group. Parker said the plan hopes to make good use of existing transportation facilities, open up more educational opportunities and allow the next generation to understand the city from different perspectives.
He said, “We will use New York’s ferry transportation system to connect diverse communities through waterways, create educational opportunities, and open more development pathways for the youth that citizens love.”
The scheme is expected to launch in September next year and will operate during school days from Labor Day to Memorial Day each year. A maximum of two sailings will be arranged per day, each sailing will accommodate about 300 students and teachers.
After students board the renovated yacht, they will be divided into groups and led by teachers from the Billion Oyster Project. Courses will be arranged for different age groups to learn about marine life, climate resilience and the people and related industries that maintain the operations of New York Harbor.
“When you’re on the water, you can see the city from a new and different perspective, and you can see the extraordinary ecosystem of New York City,” said Ann Fraioli, education director for the Billion Oyster Project.
Course content includes reading nautical charts, testing water quality, and observing living organisms, allowing students to learn marine science through practical operations and transform textbook knowledge into personal experience.
“We will bring in live shells and other small creatures so students can look at them up close and identify them,” Fraioli said.
For more than a decade, the Billion Oyster Project has benefited more than 66,000 students through New York Harbor-themed courses and field experiences.
Officials said the floating classroom project will further expand related educational achievements and collaborate with New York Harbor School, a public high school on Governors Island that focuses on maritime education. More than 50 graduates of the school have entered New York ferry jobs as captains and deck crew.
The Billion Oyster Project hopes to reach 1 million students by 2030 and aims to get 10,000 students per year through boat classes.
Stefano Chiampo, environmental educator for the Billion Oyster Project, is currently being trained to help lead these educational trips. She looks forward to seeing the students’ reactions as they admire New York Harbor from the water.
