Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

Environmental habitat restoration and inquiry-based learning with New York City public schools—an urban model in STEM education Lauren Birney 1 + John Cronin 1 Published online: 5 December 2018 © AESS 2018 Abstract e tension between academic rigor and real-world relevance is a long-standing struggle in the world of education. Never has that tension been greater than the present day, when metrics about student academic success and pressure about career preparation are each the subject of increased scrutiny. STEM education straddles this debate, demanding an equal measure of both rigor and relevance. erein lies its unique challenge. Beyond the familiar vocabulary of job training, linked learning, and twenty-first century skills, STEM teachers must create a combined learning experience that has no precedent in education. In addition to improving student proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, they must deliver the real-world component of the STEM curriculum, oen a daunting task. Here, the authors maintain that American waterways, near which the vast majority of the U.S. population lives, are ideal STEM classrooms that can fulfill the interdisciplinary and experiential goals of STEM while helping schools rediscover the larger environmental community. e authors present their experience with the Curriculum and Community Enterprise for New York Harbor Restoration in New York City Public Schools (CCERS), a program of student education and teacher training through direct participation in the planning and physical implementation of oyster restoration in New York Harbor. ey argue that if STEM's promise is that society will reap the benefits of a future job force and future innovation, community professionals such as scientists, engineers, policy makers, and more have a duty to participate as volunteer adjuncts to help implement such programs in local school systems, particularly in underserved communities. Keywords Environmental restoration • Citizen science • Habitat science • STEM education • Inquiry-based learning • Community partnerships e natural affinity between STEM education and the environment presents an ideal opportunity to deliver on STEM's promise—to develop in students the talents and skills that lead to careers, power the economy, and benefit community (National Research Council 2011, p. 3). In this regard, the nation's coastal areas have the potential to serve as extended classrooms in a new era of STEM. Environmentally oriented STEM programs can provide that opportunity (National Institute of Envi- ronmental Health Sciences 2017; National Wildlife Federation and NYC Eco-Schools Green STEM Ad- visory Board 2015; e North American Association for Environmental Education), particularly in the na- tion's coastal communities. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, by 2020, 47% of the nation's population will live in coun- ties that adjoin the coast (National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration 2017). Flooding and sea level rise are an increasing threat (IPCC Working Panel II: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2014) and traditional efforts to conserve and restore marine resources have proven inadequate (Lotze et al. 2006, pp. 1806–1809). Andrew Light (2003) argues that environmen- tal philosophy should aim to serve policy makers and the public to resolve environmental problems. Ecolog- ical restoration efforts ought to encourage public par- ticipation in order to restore not only the environment but also mend mankind's relationship with nature. As evidenced across the country, citizen-based efforts to restore species and habitat are becoming the new norm. "Bringing native species back from the brink" is a con- tinuing initiative of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Chesapeake Bay Foundation). On San Francisco Bay, 1 Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038, USA 10

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