Greater Newark Conservancy - The Center's New Programs

The Center's New Programs:

With the addition of the Urban Environmental and Ecological Center,many of the Conservancy's program will evolve, new programs will be added and more will be served. Conservancy staff will be able to conduct better lessons for more students. There will be increased opportunities for Job Training Programs. More educational opportunities will open up in the Urban Enviro-Tech Library designed to teach computer skills and provide access information about the urban environment.

The numbers we serve will increase. Today we educate 5,000 a year. Tomorrow we expect to educate 15,000. Today we train over 300 teachers. Tomorrow we expect to train more than 600. Today the teachers we train reach an additional 25,000 students. In the Center, we will reach over 50,000.

However, we will accomplish more than an increase in numbers. Our existing programs will become even better. We will be able to teach the gardening cycles from root to fruit. Teachers and students will learn to grow seedlings and minutes later be able to step outside to explore the products of the demonstration garden. Teachers and students can learn to use weather instruments at the weather station, then go indoors to learn how to share their observations over the Internet.

The Enviro-Tech Library's key programs will provide environmental material to urban students and residents including curricula, games, activities, programs and databases. The Library will house at least 30 terminals, which will provide continuous technical and outreach programming necessary to the ecological community. Once the project is fully configured, the Enviro-Tech Library will become a satellite of the Newark Public Library via the Internet. The Conservancy will ? urban environmental resources and will become not only a tremendous resource for the City but for the Greater Metropolitan Area, making information available over the Internet by becoming a hub with spokes linking to other environmental and ? information.

The outside space, the Outdoor Learning Center, will provide an an opportunity for residents to have hands on learning experiences in the garden. Teachers will learn how to incorporate their experiences into existing curricula resulting in better ? greater self-confidence and long term commitment to the environment for the students. Plans are already being implemented to expand the Conservancy's Training Program. Outside, the new facility offers the potential to implement the Training Program while successfully landscaping and maintaining the site. In addition, Training opportunities may include learning computer skills, or how to run a business or cafe. The Conservancy will even be able to open a business that provides landscaping and landscaping maintenance services. All of these new opportunities will employ and provide vocational training for Newark residents.

With the addition of the Urban Environmental and Ecological Center, urban gardeners will have a permanent resource to tap into. They will have a place to research their gardening questions, buy gardening tools, plants and other materials and participate in community gardening workshops.

The Center will also be an alternative-sustainable energy demonstration site. The inside will be heated and cooled by alternative energy utilizing solar, geothermal energy or new emerging technologies, lighted by ultra-efficient fluorescent bulbs (controlled with light and motion sensors) and natural light emanating from glazed argon-filled Southern tint windows. The Outdoor Learning Center will house a sustainable energy demonstration site. The extensive grounds will feature several greenhouses, recycled run-off water irrigation, solar lighting, and landscaping designed to aid in energy efficiency.