Clearwater Continues Hudson River Education

BEACON – Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s Tideline Program Director, Eli Schloss met with 10 residents from the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, who are students at the Yonkers campus of the John A. Coleman School, at the Yonkers Pier on Friday, April 13th for a very special day of Hudson River education. The students participated in Clearwater’s onland education program where they were introduced to Hudson River fish, shoreline artifacts, the history of the Hudson River and traditional folk songs.

The Pediatric Center is a not-for-profit, post-acute medical center that serves the most medically complex children in New York State and offers the vital medical, nursing, therapeutic and educational services that these children need to reach their greatest potential. The Pediatric Center was first introduced to Clearwater’s onland education program back in 2016 through a teacher at the Coleman School, Allison Klein, who is also a longtime volunteer and coordinator of the children’s area at the Clearwater Festival. Klein was named the 2017 NYS Council for Exceptional Children Award Winner for Excellence in Teaching.

“We are so grateful that our students were able to participate in the Tideline Program for a second time,” said Klein.“Once again, our children had the opportunity to learn about the Hudson River through a variety of multisensory experiences including touching aquatic life and artifacts and singing songs about the river,” she said. “This program was another wonderful way to engage our medically complex and technology-dependent children with their community. The Clearwater educators made this experience unforgettable for all of our children through their enthusiasm, creativity and passion!”

Tideline Program Director, Eli Schloss commented, “Working with the children of the Pediatric Center and the Coleman School is always a pleasure. We are used to reactions of amazement when we introduce the live animals and historic artifacts, and with this group, it is the same. The recognition of the material may be a bit different, but it is very clear that the students are excited and energized by the Hudson River life and history. The reason our job is so dynamic is that every audience is unique, and we must adapt our message in different ways. After our program, there is no question that these students, like many, understand that the estuary is a beautiful, diverse place and that we all must take part in protecting and restoring the river. We can’t thank the staff from the school enough, they were helpful, kind, and so committed to the well-being of these students.”

Clearwater’s Tideline programs reach all learning styles through hands-on experiential learning. Students evaluate the health of the river with first-hand interactions with the living environment as they catch, identify, and classify fish and invertebrates. They can predict the future of the river by looking at the historical uses of the river and its role as the birthplace of the environmental movement. Students connect the ecology, beauty, and environmental challenges of the river to their own lives.