Sarah Lawrence College’s Center for the Urban River at Beczak Summer Programs Reach 220 Yonkers Children

Yonkers, Sept. 1, 2016 - From catching water creatures in a seine net to finding beach treasures in a marshland scavenger hunt, more than 200 children learned about the life of the Hudson River this summer at Sarah Lawrence College’s Center for the Urban River at Beczak.

With an $8,000 Community Development Block Grant from the City of Yonkers, The Center for the Urban River (CURB) hosted 220 children ages 4-16 from June 30- August 23. Children from 11 different organizations, including the Yonkers YMCA, Nepperhan Community Center, Westhab, and the Lanza Learning Center were able to participate in the enrichment programs.

Victoria Garufi, Director of Education at Sarah Lawrence College’s Center for the Urban River, said the programs taught children about the Hudson River watershed, and local environmental issues while incorporating science, math and other basic skills.

“In catch of the day seining, children were able to find out what lives under the waves by dragging a 30-foot seine net through the water to catch fish and other remarkable Hudson River creatures,” said Garufi. “Students then kept a tally of our catch and drew conclusions by graphing the total outcomes.”

Garfui said that children can continue to use the river as a learning tool year round as part of a curriculum CURB developed in partnership with Yonkers educators. The “Three Rivers of Yonkers,” a curriculum guide with six interdisciplinary units of study, was launched last year for 31 Yonkers public schools and other school districts in Westchester. The project was funded in part by Yonkers Raceway through the resolution of an enforcement action against Yonkers Raceway brought by the New York State Attorney General.

Ryan Palmer, Director of the Center for the Urban River, said that the center’s mission was not only to conduct environmental education and research, but to also provide enrichment for underserved populations in the vicinity of the center with free programs including theatrical performances, concerts and art exhibits.

“We are grateful for Yonkers CDBG funding this summer in supporting our local community groups to experience the Hudson River in their very own backyard,” he said. “We hope we can work together to bring more culturally diverse youth from Yonkers to our center in the future.”

About the Center for the Urban River at Beczak

CURB began in 2013 when Sarah Lawrence College entered an alliance with the Hudson River Valley Environmental Education Institute, which had operated the Beczak Environmental Education Center on the banks of the Hudson River in downtown Yonkers. The collaboration allowed the College to establish a research field station, facilitate faculty and student research, while continuing environmental education programming about the river for school and community groups. In addition to providing hands-on, K-12 environmental education, CURB works with partners such as Riverkeeper to perform citizen-scientist led studies to look for ways to combat sewage and other water contamination.

About Sarah Lawrence College

Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence College is a prestigious, coeducational liberal arts college. Consistently ranked among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country, Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, for its long history of impassioned, intellectual engagement, and for its vibrant, successful alumni. For more information, please visit www.sarahlawrence.edu.