The Community is the Classroom
By Albert B. Kelly
There’s learning and then there’s learning. Some learning
gets done through books and reading; for students a lot of learning gets done
in the classroom. For me though, the best type of learning is “hands-on” or
what’s known as “experiential learning”.
That’s why I am excited about the idea of having students
from Stockton University’s Environmental Studies program using our City Park as
their own classroom. Starting this week and going the entire academic semester,
these students will be doing some important work for the Bridgeton community.
Much of it will center on evaluating aquatic wildlife
resources, terrestrial and avian wildlife resources, water quality in Sunset
Lake and the Cohansey watershed, evaluating the hydrology and water quality in
the Cohansey River, and assessing forest resources among others.
I’ve been banging the drum on this idea of “community as
classroom” for some time, but I did not get there alone. I’ve had the benefit
of being around some passionate and committed people from Stockton University
who saw this as a real part of the learning experience for their students.
With a lot of innovative thinking, Dawn Watkins, with
Stockton University’s School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, really helped
connect Bridgeton with Stockton and the idea of matching needs and resources.
Like any community, Bridgeton has many needs across a wide
spectrum and only so much in the way of money and resources to tackle all of
our challenges. At the same time, students have a need to learn and work in a
variety of settings and in Bridgeton they can work in a hands-on way.
I could be wrong about this, but for the students I think
it’s more than just learning or working out in the field; its knowing that
their work and the time and effort involved is important- that the end result
will have an impact and matter far more than if it were just about getting a
grade.
In Bridgeton, their work will matter. We’ve come a long way
since Sunset Lake drained out in August of 2011. We’ve been back online as it
were for a little over a year, but we’ve still got to solve the issue of
maintaining consistent water quality in the lake while also preserving and
maintaining our other natural assets and resources within the park ecosystem.
And while I may be biased here, I also think that with
committed students, we get the cutting edge in any given area. These students
are learning the latest techniques and latest technologies while using best
practices.
Throw in a little idealism- a little “think of what it could
be”- and you quickly realize that what they bring to the table is no small
thing. In the case of the Environmental Sciences team coming in from Stockton
U, they’ll be under the leadership of Dean Emma Witt, Assistant Professor of
Environmental Studies.
After they kick things off this week, they’ll work through
the semester and provide the Bridgeton community with a final report that will
share their findings and recommendations; these results will be presented to
City officials in December- just about the time we’ll be in “holiday mode”.
That said, I don’t mind early gifts and having a group of
talented and dedicated students using our community as their classroom is one
of the better ones I can think of.
Hopefully, this will be the start of many more such
“community as classroom” collaborations. There’s a lot to do and a lot to
learn. I liken it to playing with live ammo- the challenges are real and the
outcomes have consequences.
No matter what, it’s a winning collaboration and maybe a way
to take college and university learning in a new direction.
If there’s one thing I’ve been impressed with as I grow
older and watch this generation of young people make their way in the world,
it’s their commitment to preserving what we can’t replace and doing it in a
transparent and inclusive way.
But all of that is to say that if you see a group of
students working in the park, walking near Sunset Lake, or studying the trails-
perhaps with clipboards, vials, or some other field equipment in hand- consider
extending a warm welcome because they’re here to help.
Of course you might also see them with a can of Monster and
an iPhone or an Android in hand- welcome them anyway, they’re probably just
taking a break.