Living Classroom

Living Classroom is a pre-K to sixth-grade STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) program that brings the great outdoors into the classroom, utilizing the natural shoreline for hands-on experiential learning.

• All classes are seventy-five minutes and taught by experienced RISE educators.
• All classes are conducted during the regular school day at RISE, situated one block from the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay, where there is an abundance of natural resources to explore.
• Programming is FREE to all Rockaway public schools. Minimum program fee for private schools, charters, or public schools outside the Rockaway peninsula. (See rates below.)

BOOK A CLASS NOW!
Class field trips are offered every Wednesday and Thursday, February through May, at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. BOOK HERE on Explorable Places.

RISE is currently offering the following classes:

THE LIVING SHORELINE
This class will focus on the ecosystems that surround coastal communities. Students will learn about the animals and plants that can be found in and around the oceans and bays in coastal areas like the Rockaways, including oysters, dune plants, fish, and sharks. After a brief discussion inside, students will get the opportunity to explore those wildlife communities. Activity dependent on tide, weather, and season. *Please prepare to be outdoors!*  This class takes place at RISE (58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692).

GUYANESE FISHING/NET KNITTING
There is nowhere in New York City as diverse as the fishing piers and beaches of Far Rockaway, where fishers from all over the world come together at the water's edge. Many local fishers use cast nets, an ancient fishing technique with a long history in Guyana, to catch fish on Jamaica Bay. This hands-on workshop teaches students about the history of Guyanese fishing and some of the crafts and skills that go into it. Students will learn about Guyanese cast net fishing, its history, the art of making the nets, and their current day use in the Rockaways. Students will learn knots and practice casting a net. All students will leave the workshop with their own knot bracelet and instruction guide. This class takes place at RISE (58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692).

FEES
Include instruction and class supplies for each student.

• All classes for Rockaway public schools are FREE!
• Pricing for public schools outside the Rockaways is $10 per student; maximum 30 students. Groups with fewer than 25 students cost a flat rate of $250.
• Pricing for private school groups is $15 per student; maximum 30 students. Groups with fewer than 25 students cost a flat rate of $375.
• Homeschool groups should e-mail programs@riserockaway.org for pricing.