Hewlett-Woodmere's outdoor environmental center at the middle school wins award

The outdoor environmental center at Woodmere Middle School was one of three programs that received a “Be the Change for Kids” Innovation Award presented by the New York State School Boards Association and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Gardening areas and a greenhouse with various species of plants, aquaponics and hydroponic systems, a food composter, and a pond ecosystem where students are encouraged to think both creatively and critically as they gain experience gardening, maintaining/preserving ecosystems, and observe the growth of different plants and animals, while participating in hands-on activities are all part of the outdoor environmental center.

“We are very thankful to the New York State School Boards Association and SUNY Polytechnic Institute for recognizing our Outdoor Environmental Center at Woodmere Middle School,” said Dr. Ralph Marino, superintendent of Hewlett-Woodmere school. “The creation of this unique learning environment was a collaborative effort between students, staff, administration, Board members, and the community. The result is a beautiful location complete with a pond, a working greenhouse, gardens, and an outdoor classroom space. It will be enjoyed by our school community for years to come.”

SUNY Poly faculty and staff served as judges and the winning programs, which included Freeport schools for “Introducing Nanotechnology into K-12 Science Curriculum” and upstate Byron-Bergen Central School District for “Inquiry-Based Learning,” were selected based on the ability to replicate the program in other school district. Each winner received $5,000 from SUNY Poly. Students and staff from the three school districts toured SUNY Poly’s $24 billion state-of-the-art Albany Nano Tech Complex.

Nearly 40 schools from across the state were nominated. Judges also noted that the winning programs promote “student curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, civic responsibility and teach students the skills that they will need for the type of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) careers” becoming more common in the workplace.

“The programs that we are recognizing illustrate how schools are providing students with a top notch education and preparing them for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow. Moreover, other school districts can easily adopt these programs with virtually no impact on their budgets —a win-win for students and the schools they attend," said state School Boards Association Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.