New York Harbor School

Coordinates: 40°41′27″N 74°01′13″W / 40.690723°N 74.020279°W / 40.690723; -74.020279

Urban Assembly New York Harbor School
Established	2003
Type	Public
Principal	Nathan Dudley
Dean	Dorothy McPhee-Djan
Founder	Murray Fisher
Students	approx. 400
Grades	9-12
Location	550 Wheeler Ave. (On Governors Island), New York City, New York 10004, United States
Colors	Blue and White
Mascot	Sharks
Email	[e-mail]
Telephone	[phone]
Fax	[phone]
Website	newyorkharborschool.org

The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School (NYHS), also called The Harbor School, is a public high school located on Governors Island. This school is unique in New York City in that it attempts to relate every aspect of its curriculum to the water. The school is part of the Urban Assembly network of 21 college-prep schools in New York City. The New York City Department of Education classifies the Harbor School as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) school.

A stated focus of the school is to continue to work with organizations such as Waterkeeper Alliance and the Governors Island Alliance to ensure the improvement of New York City's harbor.^[1]

History

The NYHS officially opened in 2003. The school was founded with the help of three organizations: the Urban Assembly^[2], the South Street Seaport Museum, and Waterkeeper Alliance. Before moving to its own building on Governors Island, the school was located within the Bushwick Campus, first in the Annex and then, in 2004, on the building's fourth floor.

Bushwick High School, built in 1911, was one of the first public high schools in that area, on the former Union Cemetery used by Methodist churches of Manhattan and Brooklyn. As part of the New York City's Department of Education's effort to close large high schools and replace them with much smaller schools, Bushwick High School began to be phased out in 2003. In that year, three new high schools were founded on the Bushwick campus. One was the Harbor School. The other two schools were the Academy of Urban Planning and the Bushwick School for Social Justice ^[3]. At the close of Bushwick High School in 2006, the Academy of Environmental Leadership, a fourth high school, was added to the campus.

Since its founding, the Harbor School worked to secure a site on the water so that the school could better fulfill its mission. After several years and several proposals, the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) announced in November 2006 that the Harbor School would be moving to Governors Island. The school completed the move in 2010.

Programs

The Harbor School runs various programs related to New York's maritime experience. This distinguishes this school from other public high schools in New York City. Private and public funding support the programs.

Students at the school go out into the harbor of New York City every Tuesday and Thursday. The school terms the harbor their "outdoor laboratory." Students also regularly study New York City's two major rivers, the Hudson River and the East River. Students sample and measure water quality, attend lectures on marine science and river history, and study the river's benthic zone. Students also learn how to sail and navigate on a medium-sized schooner, called the Lettie G. Howard. Students also care for aquatic organisms. Students also study animals that inhabit both aquatic and land-based ecosystems. Swimming is a required class and students must be able to swim in order to graduate.

After-school programs also relate to the water. They include rowing, swimming, the Harbor Science Club, and the SCUBA Diving Club.

Governor's Island

The NYHS left Bushwick in July 2010 and moved to a new academic building on Governor's Island, formerly Building 550. In addition, the school is working on a large capital campaign to raise money to renovate a Marine Science and Technology (MAST) Center, which will house the school's boat building, aquaculture, and SCUBA programs, and provide direct access to the water.

References

1. ^ Governors Island Alliance 2007 The Harbor School has Landed
2. ^ www.theurbanassembly.org
3. ^ BSSJ site

External links

partners:

• Urban Assembly
• South Street Seaport Museum
• Waterkeeper Alliance

Other:

• New York City Department of Education High School Directory Page