Outstanding School
High School for Environmental Studies
Principal: Amber Najmi-Shadid
Grades 9-12
444 West 56th Street
envirostudies.org
Describe your school’s core educational philosophy.
The mission of HSES is to promote environmental integrity, social equity, and economic prosperity for all learners through challenging hands-on collaborative learning experiences that promote citizenship, scholarship, and leadership within our community and the world at large.
Tell us about a few of the school’s achievements or distinguishing programs.
Green Career Development Internship Program: This program, which is available to students starting in their sophomore year, provides an interactive career development opportunity which expands students’ learning beyond the classroom walls and encourages them to get involved now, preparing them as leaders in the conservation movement and as environmental stewards in whatever career path they choose. At the present time, our students have the opportunity to work with multiple organizations throughout NYC.
What’s new?
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture Partnership: Thanks to this partnership, we are able to offer our students a Food and Justice cooking class and cooking lab. This course considers why food matters and how we can act as citizens to support a healthier food system. It addresses issues ranging from resilient agriculture and healthy food access to the future of seeds and making the most of available food resources. The course takes a multi-faceted approach to food through exposure to excellent writing about food, agriculture and environmental sustainability. The cooking lab helps students explore the preparation and tasting of food, and provides exposure to experts through field trips to local institutions and farms and through conversations with farmers and other food producers.
What do you love about your school?
I love the opportunity that working at the school gives me to introduce the children of NYC to environmental issues to which they may not otherwise be exposed. I also feel fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing diverse community of students, teachers, and parents. Every day brings me the opportunity to share in my students’ successes as they master something new, or become enthused about a project, and that in turn energizes me to continue finding ways to support their efforts.
