Island Park sixth-graders get close to nature

To reinforce lessons they learn in the classroom, sixth-graders at Island Park Lincoln Orens Middle School spent three days studying the environment at Greenkill Environmental Education Center in upstate New York. Greenkill Environmental Center, nestled in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, is a 1,000-acre outdoor learning center complete with forests, fields, ponds, streams and three lakes.

While at Greenkill, students participated in numerous hands-on projects designed to enhance their knowledge of the environment, particularly plant and animal life. The lessons they learned at Greenkill are reviewed when they return to their classrooms through a variety of interdisciplinary activities. In addition to environmental classes, students participated in teambuilding activities to promote teamwork and respect for each other.