Catching the Early Ferry to Class

When not at sea, students study on Governors Island By [Ellen Keohane] In terms of locations, Governors Island is an ideal place for a maritime and environmental education public high school. â??The setting is phenomenal for what we"re trying to do, said Murray Fisher, the founder and program director of the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. Founded in 2003 as part of a reform effort by the city"s Department of Education, the Harbor School moved from landlocked Bushwick to Governors Island this school year. Currently, 425 students in grades 9 through 12 attend. The Harbor School is the first permanent tenant on the island since 1996, when the Coast Guard left. Since 2003, the island has been open to the public, but only on weekends from June to October. Although the island is currently closed to the public for the 2010 season, every Wednesday morning the school hosts an open house for prospective students. To attend, people just need to call ahead, Fisher said. There have been some challenges associated with relocating to a 172-acre island off the coast of Lower Manhattan. â??Like anything good in life, there are extra responsibilities and complications, Fisher said. A limited ferry schedule is one. â??We start school late to allow for the fact that our average student commute has increased quite a bit, he said. School starts at 9:25 a.m., with most students catching the 8:15 and 9 a.m. ferries, he added. The school, which is about a 5-minute walk from the ferry, is in a former Coast Guard Hospital on the western side of Governors Island. â??It was recently renovated so it was in the best condition, Fisher said. The building contains the same facilities as any other regular NYC public high school, but unlike other schools, it also has an extensive marine science and aquaculture lab. In addition, there are two marine technology shops's one for vessel operations and the other for vessel engineering (boat building and design). The school also utilizes a dock on the island where it keeps its two boats. â??A lot of activity happens on that dock besides just getting on and off boats, Fisher said, referring to it as a â??floating classroom. Over the summer and fall, students have been part of a large oyster restoration effort. About three million oysters have been grown under the dock for restoration purposes to put on reefs throughout New York Harbor, he said. The New York Harbor School is a career and technical education school, which means that students are not only being prepared for success in college, but they are also given a particular set of skills for a career pathway. Upon entering the school, every freshman takes an Introduction to New York Harbor class. â??This class is taught at 18 different sites on New York harbor, Fisher said. â??They"re out on boats all over the harbor. The school works with about 100 outside organizations, who help get students out on the water. These organizations include the Waterkeeper Alliance, South Street Seaport Museum and the Governors Island Alliance, among many others. As sophomores, students are introduced to the various marine-related programs offered at the school. Then, during their junior and senior years, they select one of five pathways of study: vessel operations, vessel engineering, scuba diving, aquaculture and marine policy. Each sequence ends with an internship in their area of study during their senior year. Fisher said he anticipates that the curriculum will change in the near future. â??We"re changing a ton this year because it"s our first year with a whole new facility, he said. The school scored an overall progress report grade of â??A with the Dept. of Education for the 2009-2010 school year, when many school grades went down facing tougher standards. Because the school first opened in Bushwick, Fisher describes the school"s demographic as a â??cross section of that neighborhood for grades 10 through 12's meaning the majority of students are black and Hispanic. However, this year"s incoming freshmen class is much more ethnically, geographically, socio-economically and academically diverse since the new location has attracted students from across the city, Fisher said. So far, New York Harbor School alumni have gone on to two-year and four-year schools including Cornell University, SUNY Stony Brook and Kingsborough Community College, according to Fisher. Some continue to study marine-related subjects, but others do not. And a number of former students have gone directly into marine-related careers. â??We have two [former] students who already have their captain"s license and they"re making slightly more money than you or me, driving boats in New York Harbor at age 20, Fisher said.