The High School for Environmental Studies (HSES) is a public high school in New York City. It was established to provide high school students (generally ages 13-18) with hands-on-experiences and education aimed at encouraging youth to connect to their environment. HSES programmes foster and build upon the children’s natural interest in the outdoors. This is particularly challenging, though, in an urban context. As such, HSES is a potential model for comprehensive urban environmental education. The HSES programme not only fosters environmental awareness and eventual professional development, but it also allows urban youth to engage with their natural surroundings.
The students at HSES include a combination of those students from around New York City who want to attend the high school (in order to take advantage of the environmental curriculum) and those students who live near the school (but are not necessarily interested in environmental issues). As such, the school not only builds environmental awareness and engagement, but it also fosters communication and community among people of different environmental perspectives.
While at the HSES, students take a combination of traditional courses (literature, biology, history, etc.) and targeted environmental courses. The traditional college prep courses have been infused with environmental examples, considerations, and resources. In addition, HSES emphasises applied-learning experiences and hands-on programs that incorporate the rich cultural, economic, and social diversity of New York City. In this context, HSES students engage in volunteer service activities such as planting trees to improve soil erosion, teaching recycling to others, building playgrounds, and cleaning beaches.
HSES has also partnered with numerous local and national organizations to provide students with opportunities for internships, scholarships, and jobs. Career days and college partnerships provide support for students as they explore future career opportunities. Teachers, on the other hand, can take advantage of summer programmes and after-school professional development workshops aimed at increasing understanding of current environmental issues and blending these issues into the classroom curriculum. Graduates of HSES often continue to become naturalists, marine science educators, park rangers, and environmental leaders.
For more information, see http://www.mediaworkshop.org/hses/ and http://www.nycenet.edu/
OurSchools/Region9/M400/default.htm or contact Ms Bartlett, Executive Director at dragonflyy@juno.com