Green Connections

Green Connections is a 16-week educational partnership program that seeks to create friendships among the upstate and downstate students in the New York City watershed. Over the course of the 16-week program, classes "connect" with their partners through letters, e-mails, videos, photos, and shared curriculum projects. Curriculum topics include: watershed infrastructure, protecting drinking water supplies, watershed land protection and open space, forest management in the watershed, and sustainable living.

Participating classes then go on group field trips to New York City and the upstate watershed to explore what water and forests mean to their counterparts. Such field trip locations have included Frost Valley YMCA, Ashokan Center, Inwood Hill Park, Queens Museum of Art, Central Park, New York City Harbor Cruise Tours, upstate wastewater treatment plants, and many others.

Facilitated field trips, communication, and common curriculum teach students appreciation regarding their respective urban/rural environments, and help them make connections between healthy forests, clean drinking water, and watershed protection.

Green Connections applications for the 2011-2012 school year are due December 2, 2011. If you have any questions, contact Katie Palm

(845) 586-2611.