PARTNERSHIPS

Service Learning 2009

NYC Audubon: A Developing Partnership

NYC Audubon Spring 2008 Wish List

Creating an issue of a children’s newsletterExpanding the mailing list for the newsletter

Developing conservation projects in NYC parks.

Immediate interest in fulfilling the need of creating the children’s newsletter

LOOK Around NYC

Look Around New York City

…is for children in 4th through 6th grade.…is for children in 4th through 6th grade.

…distributed to about 850 classrooms and nature centers throughout the City.…distributed to about 850 classrooms and nature centers throughout the City.

…published for over 20 years under the leadership of Naola Gersten-Woolf and the support of a volunteer staff.

…published for over 20 years under the leadership of Naola Gersten-Woolf and the support of a volunteer staff.

…features articles by professionals as well as kids. There are fun facts, mini-quizzes, interviews, plus resources for adults to

get ideas for fun, City-based nature activities.

…features articles by professionals as well as kids. There are fun facts, mini-quizzes, interviews, plus resources for adults to

get ideas for fun, City-based nature activities.

…aims to get City kids involved in their environment by promoting nature appreciation and preservation.…aims to get City kids involved in their environment by promoting nature appreciation and preservation.

Look Around New York City :

Look Around New York City :

According to NYC Audubon’s website:

According to NYC Audubon’s website:

BE122 Basic Skills

Service Learning Task Students create articles for Look Around New York City, NYC Audubon’s publication for children in 4th through 6th grade.

Community Partner: NYC AudubonLook Around newsletter aims to get City kids involved in their environment by promoting nature appreciation and preservation for fourth through sixth graders.

Service learning General course objectives

Identifying main ideas, supporting detailsOutlining and summarizing

Drawing conclusions

Researching skills

Developing Vocabulary

Improving study skills•time management, •organizational skills,• listening skills, •following directions

Improve basic skills of reading:

NYC Audubon and QCC: A Developing Partnership

Meeting at 23st-ManhattanWe were shown how

the operation ran, and were introduced

to Dr. Susan Elbin, Dir. of Conservation and Glenn Phillips, Exec.

Dir. where seeds were planted for

continuing partnerships with NYC Audubon and

QCC.

We saw “ the kiosk.” NYC Audubon had been

looking for a sight for the kiosk to show live

coverage of herons nesting on Brother

Islands in Long Island Sound.

NYC Audubon was excited that QCC would be interested in hosting the kiosk.

One of the most recent additions to our library’s resources is the Audubon Society HeronCam. The webcam provides images from Goose Island (Bronx) and information about the birds and the Audubon Society’s interest in them. The library is happy to have the kiosk which will support service learning projects. However, everyone is welcome to come and see the birds!

Prof. Jeanne GalvinChief LibrarianQueensborough Community College 

NYC Audubon's HeronCam

Building the Partnership

Meeting at 23st-Manhattan

Starting the NewsletterBE122 students

“In the beginning of this project, I wasn't sure what we had to do. After a few weeks of doing some research, I found it very interesting to know about. I was getting more aware of New York’s surroundings. It has helped me improve my research skills, point out major and minor details. …The history on parks was fun to research on, there was so many details in a forest to learn about. “

“…. After a week or so, I started to put my mind into this and started

finding this project very interesting.”

Working on the Newsletter

First round of articles in Wiki

“I never knew you could see all these different animals at specific times during the different seasons.”

“I'm learning a lot of different things in doing this project that I never knew before…”

“The picture on the left is from the 1600s and the picture on the right is the present. Back in the 1600s the land was used for things like farming and hunting. Wild animals such as bears lived all over the island. The water as you can see on the left is so clean and blue. The trees are nice and green and it looks like a great clean place. The picture on the left which is Times Square now is changed fully from before. Now there are buildings everywhere. Times Square is full of business buildings and retail stores. There are no trees to be seen in the picture. The water now seems less clean and polluted. “

BE122 Final Version (Mannahatta-Island of

Survival)

“….knowing how Manhattan has changed in the last 400 years is amazing…”

Audubon and BE122: Final Meeting and Thoughts

“…you need only a couple of sentences so that has helped me to summarize, which was hard at first then I caught on to how it has to

be. ““So far in doing this project it has taught me how to work with people, research, and pick out the main points.”

Erik Karff, NYC Audubon

What Made the Partnership Work

Common interest and goalsLogistical compatibilityVehicles to create trust

Honesty Face to face meetings Time commitment

ReciprocityRight place at the right time

CBOs must be ready to implementGoals need to met a short time frameFlexibilityCreativity

Audubon and BE122: Final Meeting and Thoughts

“ I think working in groups teaches you a lot about being in the real world.”

“Doing this project also helped me work better in groups. It taught me that work always gets done faster with the help of all people in your group .”

Student reflections

“At the end I think  it was worth all the hard work that everyone put in.”

BE 122NYC Audubon

“This project was a really great idea for us to help knowledge fourth graders about the history of parks in New York. I'm really excited on how this newsletter will eventually come out.”