Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

Conclusion According to the Obama administration's 2016 report, STEM 2026, "a strong STEM education" is "culturally responsive, employs problem- and inquiry-based ap- proaches, and engages students in hands-on activities that offer opportunities to interact with STEM profes- sionals" (U.S. Department of Education 2016, p. 1). is vision statement could have been written for BOP CCERS. To date, the program has provided 5600 students with access to New York Harbor at 110 waterfront locations in their native environment to participate in oyster restoration, data collection and logistical problem solving. One hundred twenty-sev- en teachers from throughout New York City have been trained using the BOP CCERS curriculum, which they have brought into their classrooms and built an insti- tutional foundation for continuing programs in indi- vidual city schools. One hundred ten volunteer citizen scientists assist in the project. Students gain ecological literacy and technical proficiencies through training in statistical and analytical skills and a deep dive into the workings of the New York Harbor ecosystem. ey learn the history of their community through the lens of a keystone species, oyster, that once helped defined the culture and economy of New York City. ey learn concepts such as the Public Trust Doctrine, a legal pre- cept that connects them to centuries of history and to their personal ownership of their local ecosystem. Ide- ally, they take with them a lifelong appreciation for the environmental legacy that is, and should be, theirs. With an eye toward assisting in the replication of its STEM approach in other coastal communities, BOP CCERS has created a central online location for access to the data and information the program has generated. e human formula it has developed, is of equal importance, and eminently replicable. e re- sponse of the region's science and professional com- munity has been key to its success as has the burgeon- ing citizen science movement. e mission to restore oysters in New York Harbor has had a galvanizing ef- fect, creating alliances and partnerships that perhaps would not otherwise exist, an experience that has been duplicated in other restoration programs around the nation, and a ready-made environment for the intro- duction and growth of STEM education. In its conclusion, STEM 2026 states: e coordinated involvement and pooling of resources among a range of stakeholders can, together, provide the research and evi- dence, the encouragement, the opportunity, and the access to high-quality STEM learn- ing experiences to help ensure that all of the nation's children receive the education they need and deserve. (pp. 44) e nation's coastal ecosystems offer just such an opportunity. As we have stated, the BOP CCERS program, though unique, is unique only in its geog- raphy, individualized program elements, and the de- cision that schools can be the mobilizing force for re- pairing one of the nation's most damaged ecosystems. Virtually, every coastal ecosystem in the nation suffers from habitat and species damage. And virtually, ev- ery coastal area boasts the same assets of professional expertise, public engagement, citizen scientists, and higher education institutions as New York. In the best spirit of the expression "never let a good crisis go to waste," variously attributed to Rahm Emanuel and Winston Churchill, partnerships be- tween schools and coastal restoration efforts offer a bold new chapter in STEM education, one that will also engender environmental recovery, civic engage- ment, and a rediscovery of the coastal foundations of their local communities. Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and insti- tutional affiliations. References Abbott S (2014) August 26. In: Hidden curriculum Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/core-course-of-study/ Cronin, John. S.T.E.M.+O = Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Oysters. (2017, Dec. 6) https://www.huffingtonpost.com/johncronin2/ stemo-science-technology-_b_8373904.html Floyd, J. (2016, July 15). [Personal interview by J. Cronin] IPCC Working Panel II: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability Janis, S. P., Birney, L. B., & Newton, R. (2016). Billion Oyster Project: linking public school teaching and learning to the ecological restoration of New York Harbor using innovative applications of environmental and digital technologies. International Journal of Digital Contents Technology and its Applications, 10(1). Retrieved from https://par.nsf. gov/servlets/purl/10020749 Light A (2003) Ecological restoration and the culture of nature: a pragmatic perspective. In: Light A, Roston H (eds) Environmental ethics: an anthology. Blackwell, Malden, pp 398–410 Lotze HK, Lenihan HS, Bourque BJ, Bradbury RH, Cooke RG, KayMC et al (2006) Depletion, degradation, and recovery potential of estuaries and coastal seas. 14

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