Peekskill Middle School Students Invited to Florida Environmental Symposium

Editor's Note: The following release was submitted by Adam Friedman & Associates.

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The next “green” generation of students at Peekskill Middle School are developing a public education project titled "Surviving Sandy: Ways to Stay Safe During a Major Storm” as part of Wheelabrator Technologies’19th Annual Symposium for Environment and Education.

Under the guidance of local educators and employees from Wheelabrator Technologies, the Peekskill students identified an environmental challenge in their community at the start of the school year with the goal of developing a long-term solution. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the students decided to focus on planning, education and awareness for future superstorms. As part of the project, the students are developing a public service announcement for local television and informational materials on hurricane preparedness, which will be distributed at the school and in the community later this Spring.

Through their research, students are examining how climate change may be affecting hurricane patterns in the Northeast and ways the region can improve its ability to deal with severe weather.

Ten Peekskill Middle School students will travel to South Florida from April 29-May 2 for the Symposium, where they will showcase the results of their work to peers and a panel of educators, government officials and community volunteers.  The event will draw 14 other student teams representing the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Florida areas.

“For 18 years, we have been partnering with Wheelabrator to provide our students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on environmental activities, inspiring active problem-solving and creative thinking,” said Peekskill teacher Liz Damiano. “These are lessons they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, continuing to better our environment.”

Wheelabrator provides participating schools with both in-kind and financial support as well as a monetary donation at the conclusion of the event. In addition, students can later qualify to earn a four-year scholarship through Wheelabrator’s partnership with Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.

For nearly two decades the Symposium has served as a key component in Wheelabrator’s corporate social responsibility efforts.

“Working with educators and students at Peekskill Middle School gives Wheelabrator employees the opportunity to partner with the local community and encourage the value of environmental stewardship in the next generation,” said Kenneth Phillips, Wheelabrator Fuel Manager. “We look forward to spending time in the educational and environmental arena with these students each year.”

The Symposium includes an awards dinner featuring ocean explorer Fabien Cousteau and a trip to a Miami Marlins- New York Mets baseball game.