Harbor 360º
Cornell University Cooperative Extension New York City (CUCE-NYC) is pleased to serve as a core partner of an exciting new initiative called Harbor 360º.
CUCE-NYC collaborates with organization partners to provide effective learning experiences to program participants
Harbor 360º is a unique public education and visitor attraction being proposed for Governors Island as part of its redevelopment. It will be a destination for visitors from the metropolitan region, the nation and abroad, providing unique learning opportunities and experiences focused on the harbor and the urban environment, right at the core of the magnificent New York Harbor.
Download the Harbor 360º Summary in PDF.
Harbor 360º Partners
In addition to CUCE-NYC, other partners include City University of New York's (CUNY) Urban Coastal Environmental Processes Research Center and Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center, Hudson River Foundation, Liberty Science Center, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, New York Harbor School, Regional Plan Association, and The River Project.
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See CUCE-NYC and Harbor 360º in the News
CUCE-NYC Role
CUCE-NYC, which conducts community education on the Urban Environment and reaches diverse audiences, will collaborate with other academic and research institutions to offer public education programs that provide a strong base for advancement in science. It will draw upon expertise and other resources of Cornell University, which serves as NYS's land-grant university, having a mandate for research, teaching and outreach. Extension programs at Harbor 360º will involve both formal and informal education of students, professionals and public visitors, and also offer college credit and certification. Programs will respond to emerging needs and interests, ranging from education on aquatic ecology to sustainable development including green technologies and natural landscapes to the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer technologies in addressing environmental planning and management needs.
CUCE-NYC will also provide leadership to the 'Harbor Stewardship Education and Planning Collaborative' component of the Harbor 360º center, collaborating with Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and other Harbor 360º Partners, to organize and conduct conferences and programs, such as field trips, internships, teacher training and professional development workshops, as well as school assemblies and public meetings.
Explorer's Day on Governors Island
In April 2006, youth from New York's inner-City neighborhoods will venture to the unknown, Governors Island, for a two-day environmental expedition on this nearby yet remote island. Read the news story for more information.
The following is a summary of an evaluation of the event, by Kendra Liddicoat, completed July 26, 2007
The Urban Environment Program at Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC (CUCE-NYC) offers youth an opportunity to explore the green spaces and natural resources that enrich their urban home. Program participants expand their environmental knowledge, scientific skills, social networks, and openness to new experiences while developing a personal connection to the diverse place in which they live. A recent evaluation of CUCE-NYC's innovative programs on Governors Island has demonstrated that an overnight camping experience just minutes away from Manhattan can indeed accomplish such varied goals. As one young man explained a year later,
That experience was over the top. That was first time I actually had experience outdoors ... actually had an opportunity to camp out with people and ... to be on an island that was a part of history ... you really feel calm because it's not crowded, it's not wild, it's real quiet, and you learn a lot by just looking ... so it was a great experience. That camping was probably something I'll always remember.
For him, the trip was a chance to get away and experience something new. For other teens, it was a chance to relate previous outdoor experiences back to their home environment and discover "that there are places like Governors Island in New York City that you can go to ... you don't have to get upstate to enjoy such places."
The participants also appreciated the social components of the trip saying,
We got to know different people, and they all live in our area, so it was easy to speak to them and see them outside of the program. So we had a new network of friends ... and we were in a place where we could speak freely. No one had any animosities towards anyone, so it was very calming.
Their shared interest in environmental education activities meant that the participants discovered "other groups that, you know, get into what we do, also on a regular basis." They felt that "it was good to meet other people and to get to learn stuff about them and what they do."
Because of its environmental education focus, the program included a variety of instructional activities from which the participants gained specific skills such as maritime knot tying, water quality testing, and taking tree measurements. These skills have been applied since then in academic, recreational, and community settings. The young adults also developed a greater enthusiasm for local history and an awareness of the value of environmental actions. Although few participants retained the general emphasis on sustainability, the experience of carrying food and water in and garbage out reminded them that, "We're not the only people on this earth. There are a lot of creatures that live around us too ... if you leave any trash or anything on the ground, it could affect them." More broadly, the trip fostered a general enthusiasm for the outdoors. One young woman described her reaction quite simply as "I love camping now. We're planning to go camping again," while another explained that,
It's gotten me to want to explore my surroundings more because I never knew that the Island existed. And it was fun because ... my school is already a water school to explore the waters and our rivers, so [the trip] helped me get an understanding as to why we have to do all of this for nature.
This two-day, one-night trip to Governors Island is but one of the many programs offered by CUCE-NYC that expose urban youth to the environment around them. Whether they are doing action projects in community gardens, taking scientific measurements of urban trees or air quality, or attending day-long explorations on Governors Island, participants are interacting with nature and developing a stronger sense of place, their environment. Research has shown that such experiences enhance personal and community well-being, and that they can spark life-long interests. Capturing this potential continuing impact, one Governors Island participant explained that
[The experience] forced me to be more open to new things in life, like things I don t know much about. To be more open minded and do things, to learn more about new things because even though it might seem boring at first, it might be a great experience and that's how this trip really turned out to be.
More Information
For more information, please contact Urban Environment Staff.
Please visit Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation website for more information about the corporation.
Please visit the Governors Island National Monument website for more information about the monument.