Tuesday, January 14, 2025
The New York State School Boards Association has recognized the Baldwin School District with two Champions of Change awards — for its Baldwin Schools Wellness Center and the Brookside Shark Tank Project.
The state recognition highlights school districts’ programs and initiatives that provide positive change for the students and community within those districts.
“Every once in a while, it is nice to get a pat on the back, especially when the recognition is unexpected,” Robert S. Schneider, NYSSBA executive director, wrote in a news release. “NYSSBA initiated a program, which we call the Champions of Change, in order to do just that.”
The wellness center, officially launched during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 21, is a partnership with New Hyde Park based PM Pediatric Care, an urgent-care provider specializing in pediatric and adolescent health. The in house center at Baldwin Middle School offers a comprehensive range of services focused on both emotional and academic wellness. On-site counselors, therapists and behavioral specialists are available to support students through individual counseling sessions, as well as art and play therapy.
The center was funded, in part, courtesy of former Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, who secured more than $3 million for the school district’s social and emotional programs as part of $15 million in Community Project Funding, one of her final acts in Congress in 2022. Assemblywoman Judy Griffin secured $450,000 for the initiative during her first term in Albany that same year.
A second center is in the works at the high school, according to officials.
In the other district initiative, which took place at Brookside Elementary School, students stepped into the “tank” this past February to pitch their ideas to district officials, much like contestants on the popular TV show “Shark Tank.”
Calling themselves “Second Aide Entrepreneurs,” students raised more than $1,000 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a national charity dedicated to funding pediatric cancer research. The students pitched their business ideas to Baldwin officials, including Superintendent Shari Camhi, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Anthony Mignella, Brookside Principal Anne Marie Squicciarini and PTA President Raquel Stephenson, who acted as “sharks.”
“It is an honor to see Brookside recognized by the NYSSBA with the Champions of Change award for our second grade Shark Tank experience,” Squicciarini wrote. “By donating their funds to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, they learned that their voices make a difference and that children can be valuable contributions to the global community.”
Events like the Shark Tank project are part of Baldwin 2035, a school district initiative tackling future-focused learning and hands on, creative-based instruction.
“These programs were hand-selected by the NYSSBA awards committee for their innovative nature and how much we care for our students and their families,” Camhi wrote. “This is what we strive for every day in Baldwin schools.”
