06/16/2009
SUNY Cortland and the Tully (N.Y.) Central School District have joined forces to expand opportunities for children in schools throughout Central New York to experience unique tropical wildlife in Belize.
From Thursday, June 18-Sunday, June 21, Thomas Pasquarello, a professor of political science at the College, and Kraig Pritts, superintendent of schools in the Tully District, will travel to Belize to develop video conferencing opportunities for the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in the tropical highlands of this Central American nation.
While in Belize, the two Central New York educators will also visit schools in Belize to gain insight into the educational systems of other countries and cultures.
The 26-year-old Belize Zoo is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits more than 125 animals, all native to Belize. Coordinated by its founder, Sharon Matola, the zoo features animals that are orphaned, born at the zoo, rehabilitated or sent as gifts from other zoological institutions. None are captured in the wild for exhibit. The center hosts more than 15,000 schoolchildren every year as part of its education programs and zoo events.
Developed through Marley Barduhn, associate dean in SUNY Cortland's School of Education, the project will provide video conferencing equipment and training to zoo staff. In addition, the partners will create lesson plans and additional educational projects to improve access by school children through the zoo's Web site, www.belizezoo.org. The zoo Web site will correlate with virtual field trips created in conjunction with the partnership's video conferencing outreach programs.
The partnership involves college student internships and other student placements in the region as part of their global opportunities educational program.
The Tully District has expanded its use of video conferencing and distance learning as instructional tools. Students participate in shared classroom discussions with other schools around the country and have partnered in foreign language instruction with the Homer (N.Y.) Central School District. The students use the technology to conduct meetings and collaborations among teachers and administrators.
Future partnerships with SUNY Cortland will involve distance learning technologies in the planning of a regional professional development school including Tully and a number of other Central New York districts.
For more information about the program, contact Barduhn at marley.barduhn@cortland.edu.