Service Learning 2009

1. Service Learning 2009 Partnerships

2. NYC Audubon: A Developing Partnership

3. NYC Audubon Spring 2008 Wish List Creating an issue of a children’s newsletter Expanding the mailing list for the newsletter Developing conservation projects in NYC parks. Immediate interest in fulfilling the need of creating the children’s newsletter

4. LOOK Around NYC

5. Look Around New York City According to NYC Audubon’s website: Look Around New York City : …is for children in 4th through 6th grade. …distributed to about 850 classrooms and nature centers throughout the City. …published for over 20 years under the leadership of NaolaGersten-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. …aims to get City kids involved in their environment by promoting nature appreciation and preservation.

6. 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 Audubon Look Around newsletter aims to get City kids involved in their environment by promoting nature appreciation and preservation for fourth through sixth graders.

7. Service learning  General course objectives Improve basic skills of reading: • Identifying main ideas, supporting details • Outlining and summarizing • Drawing conclusions • Researching skills • Developing Vocabulary • Improving study skills • time management, • organizational skills, • listening skills, • following directions

8. NYC Audubon and QCC: A Developing Partnership Meeting at 23st-Manhattan We 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.

9. NYC Audubon's HeronCam • 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 Galvin Chief Librarian Queensborough Community College

10. Building the Partnership Meeting at 23st-Manhattan

11. “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. “ Starting the NewsletterBE122 students

12. “…. After a week or so, I started to put my mind into this and started finding this project very interesting.” Working on the Newsletter

13. First round of articles in Wiki “I never knew you could see all these different animals at specific times during the different seasons.”

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

15. BE122 Final Version (Mannahatta-Island of Survival) “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. “ “….knowing how Manhattan has changed in the last 400 years is amazing…”

16. 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.”

17. Erik Karff, NYC Audubon

18. What Made the Partnership Work • Common interest and goals • Logistical compatibility • Vehicles to create trust • Honesty • Face to face meetings • Time commitment • Reciprocity • Right place at the right time • CBOs must be ready to implement • Goals need to met a short time frame • Flexibility • Creativity

19. Audubon and BE122: Final Meeting and Thoughts “ I think working in groups teaches you a lot about being in the real world.”

20. “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 .”

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

22. “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.” BE 122NYC Audubon