Learning On The River: Hoboken Middle School Starts 'Riverkeeper Institute'

HOBOKEN, NJ — It takes a Village to raise a child, and the Hoboken public schools are taking advantage of that village by partnering with local organizations and universities to help students learn more about the world around them.

Just before the COVID Pandemic, Hoboken Middle School students and staff engaged in a project with two Stevens Institute of Technology classes to design a wetlab. After months of planning and collaboration, the lab was built.

But then, COVID arrived.

It took more than two years, but now, the middle school students are getting the chance to learn from the river.

'Riverkeeper Institute'

This year, the Hoboken public schools have launched the Riverkeeper Institute, using the lab.

The Riverkeeper Institute at Hoboken Middle School is an immersive, year-long program designed to provide students with field experience, professional data collection and reporting,project based inquiry, and hands-on scientific discovery related to Hoboken and the Hudson River ecosystem.

"Hoboken Middle School riverkeepers are student explorers, scientists, researchers, environmentalists, fishermen, ecologists, biologists, and aquatic heroes of today, and
tomorrow," said the district in a release. "Hoboken Middle School recently called out for students to apply to the institutebased on interest. The goal of the application process was to find a class of student riverkeepers willing to pilot innovative curriculum, participate in field experiences, and engage in original research."

The following Middle School students were selected to participate this year:

Adela Horn
Rafael Callamari
Albian Jashari
Adam Khol
Michael Keegan
Isabella Rosado
Alex Dellara
Rye Critelli
Zachary Bellofatto
Cameron Daly
Charles Stropp
Magnus Peterka
Saral Kulkarni
Riley Peters
Seneca Perry
Ehmani Chin
Emani Cirino
Charlotte Peters
Harrison Green

Hoboken High School Environmental Science Club

Ian Crespi
Abigail Scott
Amalia Batlle
Camila Suarez
Nate Lerner
Lavinia Cintra
Meghan Stehli
Jacob Linder

Projects

Led by Hoboken High School science teacher Jean Lebegue and a core group of environmental club members, along with Middle School Science teacher Toni Marinello, students will work to preserve and protect local Hudson River habitats through the application of the scientific process and data collection.

They will learn more about the relationship between climate change and theestuary, and engage in the impact of microplastics on the river and its shoreline.

Two days per week will be dedicated to research, observation and analysis in the specially designed living laboratory, equipped with temperature controlled touch and observation tanks,probes, digital microscopes, and other technologies needed to support their work.

Each Friday, Hoboken Middle School riverkeepers will be in the field fishing, netting, seining, and gathering marine life specimens from the Hudson River.

There are already trips planned to the Riverproject Pier 40 Wetlab, the NJ Wetland Discovery, Hoboken Sewerage Authority, and the Hudson Valley Exploration Pathway.

Activities including sailing, fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding will round out all that the Hudson River has to offer residents.

Throughout the yearlong Riverkeeper Institute, students will be assigned topics of interest to
study. Students will be responsible for collecting data and information related to their topic of
interest.

"The Hoboken Public School District looks forward to forming partnerships with local
organizations, research facilities, and universities as it takes the Riverkeeper Institute from a
pilot program to an established best-practice model," said the district.

Read other recent Hoboken school news on Patch here.