Islip Historian Inspires South Shore Charter Scholars During Engineering Day Celebration

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — Students at South Shore Charter School in Central Islip combined creativity, engineering and environmental awareness during a special Engineering and Earth Day celebration on April 22 that challenged scholars to design and build three-dimensional models inspired by historic structures.

The event highlighted the school’s growing engineering curriculum and featured Town of Islip Historian and engineer George J. Munkenbeck as a guest speaker and mentor for students throughout the day.

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Using materials including cardboard, popsicle sticks, straws, wood and LEGOs, scholars created detailed models of famous and historic buildings, including St. John’s Church, the White House and One World Trade Center. Students selected their own structures independently, allowing creativity and personal interest to guide each project.

School officials said the event was designed to connect engineering principles with Earth Day themes centered on sustainability, preservation and environmental responsibility, including the importance of maintaining historic structures.

Munkenbeck visited each student table throughout the event, discussing engineering concepts, reviewing projects and encouraging scholars to think critically about architecture, construction and design.

“The engineer has been, and is, a maker of history,” organizers said, citing engineer and educator James Kip Finch as inspiration for the day’s activities.

Students incorporated figurines into many of their projects after learning about design plans introduced by Munkenbeck, helping demonstrate how buildings function in everyday life. Some scholars also transformed simple geometric shapes into entirely new structures, further developing spatial awareness and problem-solving skills.

The event also sparked curiosity beyond architecture, as students asked questions about engineering careers, construction challenges and even space exploration.

“How do astronauts breathe in space?” was among the questions posed by scholars during the presentation, leading to broader discussions about science, engineering and future career possibilities.

Students prepared for the event through both classroom and at-home assignments before presenting their completed projects during the showcase and contest.

“I have made many school presentations and taught at all levels and have to say I was impressed with the deportment, attention and interest of your students in my presentation,” Munkenbeck said. “Despite their youth, they paid attention and had questions and answers that were well thought out and contributed to the presentation. To say I was impressed with your students is an understatement."

School officials credited Executive Director Dermoth Mattison for helping integrate engineering into the school’s regular coursework rather than treating it as an occasional activity.

“As the day concluded, one message was clear: when students are given opportunities to imagine, build, and explore, they don’t just learn about history, they become part of it,” organizers said.

School officials said the event demonstrated how engineering education can help students build confidence, strengthen collaboration skills and inspire future innovation while encouraging environmental responsibility.

“I feel proud and fortunate to work at a school that invests heavily in a fully realized Engineering program that is accessed by every scholar,” engineering teacher Shani Turner said. “Scholars benefit profoundly from having the space to solve open-ended, real-world problems that require self-reliance, critical thinking, and collaboration.”