Research Expedition: Puerto Rico

Research Expedition: Biodiversity and Cultural History of Puerto Rico

Course Credit: 1 Biology Credit

Seats Available: 18

Accepting Applications From: 10th & 11th Grade Students only. 2 Leadership positions for Senior students available.

Core Value: Activism

Team: Ben, Aurelina, Ronaire, Hillary

Travel Dates: Tuesday, March 14th - Tuesday, March 21st. Students should bring money for one meal per day (lunch or dinner) and souvenirs. (Recommended amount: $100-150.00)

Course Description: Calling all Research Scientists!

The purpose of our Enrichment Week is to immerse students in the rich Puerto Rican heritage and biodiversity that is evidenced on the island. Biodiversity conservation and sustainability are issues that our global community is facing in a changing landscape. Moreover, Our East Harlem neighborhood and our student population is extremely diverse and this culture comprises a large part of our students' identities. We will be examining through a comprehensive lens the rich biodiversity, environmental issues , and cultural and historical influences that are facing Puerto Rico today. As a school whose mission is leadership through innovation, we are seeking to spur academic learning processes in a dynamic and experiential way by providing our students a field practicum. Students will visit different biological and cultural sites of interest in various parts of Puerto Rico which contains rich differences in ecosystems and geological forms as well as cultural influences of colonial Spanish and Afro-Caribbean culture. Students will learn research methods and scientific inquiry skills at different sites such as the the tropical dry forest of Guanica, Culebra, Camuy Caverns, and El Yunque Rainforest to appreciate the rich biodiversity of Puerto Rico. Cultural Sites will include Old San Juan, the barrio of Loiza, and Castillo de Serralles. Upon arrival to the classroom, students final project will include a product focused on one of the sites of interest and incorporate principles of biology and biodiversity to perform their own research.