The Next Generation of Hudson River Educators: Using Place-Based
Education to Connect Underrepresented Minorities to their Local
Waterways
Abstract
Place-based field education is the foundation of Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory’s Hudson River Field Station. The most effective method of
engaging and connecting people with their local environment is through
memorable and hands-on field investigations, with the Hudson River
itself as the best educational tool. Our ‘Next Generation of Hudson
River Educators’ is a six week summer internship program specifically
designed to more effectively engage underrepresented minority (URM)
students and communities with the Hudson River using a tiered mentoring
structure. The high school interns first take a deep dive into the
Hudson River to develop a better understanding of the historic to
present human connection to the estuary, the dynamism of its biology,
physics, chemistry, geology, and topography, and the challenges the
Hudson faces, along with potential community solutions. These field
investigations build an appreciation for the estuary that they can pass
on to their communities. Unfortunately, the coronavirus introduced a
unique challenge on place-based education making it impossible to run an
in-person program. Through an innovative approach to place-based
learning, we decided ‘if we couldn’t bring the students to the river, we
would bring the river to the students’. The interns dedicated the first
weeks to learning about the Hudson through “Virtual River” videos,
games, interactive web activities, and live river demonstrations hosted
down by the water. While the content is virtual, it simulates a
place-based education that effectively engages students in the
geosciences and increases science literacy. The interns then work in
teams to create their own communication tools to share Hudson
information that is captivating to a multigenerational and diverse
audience. In order to offer information that is interesting and relevant
to their communities, interns performed interviews to learn directly
from their friends, family, and neighbors about their perceptions and
existing knowledge of the Hudson. Involving the community in place-based
education is crucial because residents provide key information that
would be otherwise unknown to a visiting scientist or educator. They
then use this information to build their communication outputs that are
intended to better connect URM to their local waterways.