Environmental restoration and citizen science: Curriculum and Community Enterprises for Restoration Science

WWW.INTERNATIONALINNOVATION.COM Teaching and learning opportunities for underrepresented students in the City Harbour The world of STEM subjects is your oyster

Engaging students with STEM subjects tends to be quite challenging. However, The STEM Collaboratory NYC™ at in the US is providing a practical solution. Dr Lauren Birney leads a city-wide collaboration emphasising the benefits of citizen science within restorative ecology to underrepresented students in the Harbor

THE CONCEPT OF citizen science, defined Where oysters once covered more than 220,000 The STEM CCE-RS model has been developed as the engagement with scientific research acres of the estuary, providing with three main goals. First, the team aims by members of the public, is providing an a variety of valuable ecosystem services, to increase the quality and effectiveness of opportunity for concerned citizens to actively the population has since dwindled through STEM-C teaching and learning; second, it participate in real, ongoing scientific research overharvesting, dredging and pollution. BOP endeavours to enhance the knowledge and efforts within environmental restoration. With will reverse these effects, thereby restoring instructional skills of teachers; and third, its the involvement of New York City public schools, the local marine ecosystem’s natural objective is to develop the knowledge of and students begin to learn about STEM on a mechanisms for maintaining itself, providing interest in STEM-C in students. To achieve these practical level while developing skills, such as cleaner water and increased biodiversity. targets, the programme created five interrelated water quality monitoring data collection and Importantly, by acknowledging the benefits components, or ‘pillars’. These are: Teacher enquiry-based research techniques. of citizen science projects, the team behind Training Curriculum, Student Science Field the project engages students and the general Research, the Digital Platform, After School A key benefit of this particular movement is public, providing them with an increased and Summer STEM Mentoring, and Community/ that citizen science has sparked increased understanding of and appreciation for the New Museum Restoration-Based Exhibits. Together, awareness regarding the responsibility we all York Harbor watershed. In planting the seeds these pillars and the CCE-RS Model will enable have to engage in scientific discovery. Indeed, of responsibility now, the future success of the both students and teachers to get the most out the well-documented impact individual actions New York Harbor can be secured. of the programme through continuous support. continue to have on the environment emphasise how we can all play a part in exacting positive ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION STEM EDUCATION FOR change. Thus, encouraging and facilitating THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS widespread participation in environmental In acknowledgment of the broader importance The STEM CCE-RS project specifically targets restoration through citizen science has the of the project, the National Science Foundation middle-school students in low-income potential to not only benefit the amateur (NSF) recently awarded the team responsible a neighbourhoods and students from groups scientists involved and the scientific field within grant of US $5 million, funding that will enable that are underrepresented in STEM fields which the research project falls, but also the the project to be extended and expanded. and education pathways. To engage with entire community and surrounding population Dr Lauren Birney, Assistant Professor of STEM this demographic, the Student Science Field as a whole. This particular movement focuses Education and Director/Founder of The STEM Research arm of the project is developing upon the ideas surrounding those of smart and Collaboratory NYC™ – a leading STEM education project-based lesson plans across a full school connected communities. and engagement scheme at Pace University – is year relating to harbour restoration activities principal investigator for the NSF Curriculum and monitoring the results in the name of RESTORING NOTIONS OF and Community Enterprise for Restoration scientific research. COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY Science (CCE-RS) project. Results so far have With this in mind, the Billion Oyster Project demonstrated several positive developments. Current project activities for students include (BOP), an ecosystem restoration and education “Teachers have displayed a stronger interest teachers implementing lesson plans and project aimed at restoring one billion live in teaching enquiry-based lessons through taking students to field sites to collect water oysters to the New York Harbor was launched citizen science and environmental restoration,” monitoring and observation data – information by Murray Fisher and Peter Malinowski explains Birney. “Students continue to exhibit that will be gathered on a mobile application of the New York Harbor Foundation. Over excitement through active participation in the that has been developed specifically for the the course of the last 10 years, more than field and have taken ownership of the learning project, which will allow students to input data 100,000 schoolchildren have been engaged process inside the classroom as well in the and connect in real time. A process of continued through restoration-based STEM education field – the field being the New York Harbor. This analysis has been emphasised to identify the programmes and, thus far, have restored over 11 engagement stimulates an interest in the STEM most effective techniques and strategies for million oysters to the area. content areas.” encouraging engagement in the students and,

INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION as such, more experienced teachers mentor those less experienced through a process of sharing and discussing lessons.

Ultimately, this will fuel a process of continued refi nement and revision of the lessons to maximise their effectiveness. However, the analysis does not cease there: “A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods research plan will be used to assess the individual and collective effectiveness of the fi ve project components,” explains Birney. “Regression analyses will be used to identify effective programme aspects and assess Five pillars the individual effectiveness of participation, and social network mapping will be used to further assess the overall ‘curriculum plus of strength to community’ model.”

CREATING A SCALABLE AND engage students REPLICABLE MODEL To ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in environmental THE MISSION OF the Curriculum and for fi eld research, Good Shepherd Services/ restoration and citizen science, policy Community Enterprise for Restoration Science New York Academy of Science after school changes are needed. This would enable more (CCE-RS) project is to connect teaching programme sites, and marine science research individuals to have access to environmental and learning to the restoration of the New facilities. Each physical setting has been science curricula, resources, STEM York Harbor. Ultimately, this will facilitate home to several project accomplishments, internship opportunities and projects that an enhanced learning experience of STEM and many more project activities have allow student participation, creativity and subjects for underrepresented students, been scheduled for the near future. design. This mode of thought is central to and present new opportunities and career the STEM CCE-RS project, with specifi c focus pathways for those involved in the project. RESOURCE PILLARS on giving priority to those students most in While the proposed activities of the project need of support, such as underrepresented To achieve these outcomes, an implementation will help the team build upon its already students, minorities and women. “The plan has been created that consists of fi ve considerable achievements, it is crucial that project addresses the immediate needs of education-resource pillars. These pillars the project is supported by solid foundations. these students by providing them with the will work interdependently to support middle Each pillar works to achieve a specifi c target opportunity to be central to the research, school student learning and teacher training, but, importantly, they are all interrelated, design and innovation components of but will also be used in conjunction with fi ve where each one complements the others the project,” explains Birney. “Student physical project settings – Pace University in a highly dynamic arrangement. The participation in this manner generates classrooms for training, the New York City proposed activities for each pillar are: ownership in their community, stimulates Department of Education, waterfront sites interest in STEM fi elds and promotes innovation, creativity and transformation through enquiry and interactive research.”

The overarching goal that the model PILLAR ONE PILLAR TWO established is fully scalable, transferable and adaptable ensures it can easily be adopted Teacher Training Curriculum Student Science Field Research by other school districts outside of New York Pillar one will recruit and select 20 new Pillar two involves Cohort 1 teachers who will City – across the US and internationally. teachers to become Cohort 2 teachers, implement lesson plans designed to maximise Indeed, the intention is to offer the resources host monthly fellowship and fi eld days, successful involvement of underrepresented to all public schools in New York City across and implement a curriculum map and students, and will actively engage said students the next decade or so, with a view to expand performance expectations. Importantly, both by taking them to fi eld sites. There, they will the model to other geographies, school institutions will host a STEM symposium collect water monitoring and observation data systems and environmental restoration in order to disseminate the project details, on a specially designed mobile application, projects worldwide. We are all citizens of the enabling wider understanding in addition to providing each individual with a sense of world and with the success of projects such facilitating a report on the project’s progress. responsibility and ownership. Additionally, as STEM CCE-RS, citizen science focused on Cohort 1 teachers will act as mentors to environmental restoration can demonstrate Dr Lauren Birney – Co-Principal Cohort 2 teachers, where both will share and the enormous positive impacts it has on Investigator, Pace University discuss lessons, identifying what particular individuals, STEM-based subjects and the aspects are most effective. In so doing, community’s environment. Dr Jonathon Hill – Co-Principal the curriculum will go through a constant Investigator, Pace University process of refi nement and revision, ensuring Th s mter l s bsed upon work supported by the it is as effective as it can be at all times. Nt onl Sc ence Foundt on under rnt Number Sam Janis – Project Manager, DRL- Any op n ons, f nd ngs, nd conclus ons or New York Harbor Foundation Dr Robert Newton – Co-Principal recommendt ons expressed n th s mter l re those of Investigator, the uthor(s) nd do not necessr ly reflect the v ews of the Nt onl Sc ence Foundt on Nancy Woods – Co-Principal Investigator, New York Department of Education

www.internationalinnovation.com IMPROVING STEM EDUCATION IN NEW PILLAR THREE PILLAR FIVE YORK CITY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND CITIZEN SCIENCE Digital Platform Community/Museum OBJECTIVES The University of Maryland Center for Restoration-Based Exhibits To create an authentic STEM curriculum that Environmental Science is an integral aspect Pillar fi ve involves The River Project, a enables New York City (NYC) middle school of pillar three and will be responsible for marine science fi eld station in New York students to undertake a local species restoration maintaining and updating the curriculum portal, City, and the New York Aquarium. It will project and conduct environmental fi eld research, digital dashboard and mobile application. be home to interactive exhibits featuring resulting in increased engagement in academics; The team there will also develop a student oysters and showcasing the biodiversity facilitate enhanced performance in STEM-C dashboard – an online resource that will help of the New York Harbor. These teams will disciplines; and create an interest toward each individual chart their own progress and create and maintain all interactive exhibits learning and environmental restoration in the encourage continued engagement. Developing to facilitate enhanced learning experiences natural environment of New York Harbor. additional capacity for citizen scientists is for both students and the general public. In also part of pillar three’s remit, which is addition to providing important educational KEY COLLABORATORS AND PARTNERS of benefi t to the scientifi c community, the resources, The River Project and the New York Pace University • NYC Department of Education students and the individual citizens involved. Aquarium will also host student fi eld trips • New York Harbor School • Columbia Lamont- throughout the course of the programme. Doherty Earth Observatory • University of Maryland Dr William Dennison – Senior Center for Environmental Science • New York Personnel, University of Maryland Jon Dohlin – Director, New York Aquarium Harbor Foundation • New York Aquarium • New York Academy of Sciences • Good Shepherd Eli Caref – Coordinator, Education Programs Services • The River Project (Megan Groome, Jonathan Hill, Samuel Janis, Robert Newton, PILLAR FOUR Nancy Woods, Murray Fisher, Peter Malinowski)

FUNDING After School and Summer Mentoring National Science Foundation (NSF) Pillar four will include lessons held at Good Shepherd Services after school programme CONTACT sites, which will also run during the summer. Dr Lauren Birney The out-of-school curriculum lessons Principal Investigator will engage students in STEM-C concepts One Pace Plaza with a focus on invertebrate zoology. New York, New York 10038 Importantly, providing students in low-income USA neighbourhoods with something to do outside of school hours has genuine potential to T +1 212 346 1889 infl uence life outcomes in the long term. E [email protected] http://ccers.dev.expandtheroom.net/ Dr Meghan Groome – Co-Principal Investigator, New York Academy of Sciences http://bit.ly/LaurenBirney https://vimeo.com/130355185 www.researchgate.net/profi le/Lauren_B_Birney Image credits: front cover, left insert © NEFLondon; first page, top image: Fort Jay and http://bit.ly/LinkedInLaurenBirney Lower skyline © Nestor Rivera Jr. CC BY-SA 2.0; all other images © Billion Oysters Project @LBBirney

DR LAUREN BIRNEY is Assistant Professor of STEM Education at Pace University and Director of the The STEM Collaboratory NYC™. Birney’s focus seeks to address the dramatic needs in STEM Education and facilitate interdisciplinary research through the exchange of ideas among COLLABORATIVE MODEL WITH • The New York City Department students, faculty and industry stakeholders in TREMENDOUS BENEFITS of Education STEM disciplines nationally and internationally through smart and connected communities. The Curriculum and Community • Columbia University’s Lamont- Enterprise for Restoration Science Doherty Earth Observatory project is led by Dr Lauren Birney at Pace University, but the success of its • The New York Academy of Sciences implementation has been aided through extensive collaboration. The consortium • University of Maryland’s Center of partners with a collective expertise for Environmental Science in marine and environmental sciences, STEM education and restoration • Good Shepherd Services ecology include: • The New York Aquarium • Pace University • The River Project • The New York Harbor Foundation • SmartStart ECS

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