Explore Hands-On Learning with the STEM Workshop in Hoboken, NJ

Resilience offers hands-on, outdoor, urban ecology workshops focused on inquiry-based exploration of the Hudson River Estuary. Students learn field research techniques and collect data for ongoing community science projects. Current projects focus on water quality, estuary biodiversity and plastic pollution. We also expect to have a bi- valve, filter feeder project ready for the fall classes. A Resilience outdoor workshop can be a stand-alone, one trip experience to spark student interest in our local estuary or launch a new classroom teaching unit. We can customize special projects to meet core standards or other criteria in collaboration with individual teachers. Our own projects are inquiry driven and the data that students collect is immediately useful to local scientists. However, we aim to support local teachers and students who want to pursue their own questions and make use of the estuary and local waterfront areas for STEM or other research projects. Programs include Resilience educators plus a variety of field research equipment including hip waders, seine net, hand nets, crab and fish traps, plankton collectors as well as kits to test a variety of parameters of water quality including dissolved oxygen, salinity, turbidity, PH and temperature. We have kayaks and paddleboards that can be used for research (as well as recreation), but workshops can be conducted solely on the beach, shoreline and/or local piers. Classes are typically 1.5–2hrs hours in length. Longer workshops and/or follow up visits to complete research projects can be set up.