Hundreds of Regeneron employees spent the week of Oct. 19 helping transform part of the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES campus in Yorktown Heights into an outdoor classroom designed to make science education more accessible to students throughout the region.
The STEM-Fueled Discovery Pathway is a permanent, ADA-accessible learning space featuring a 1,200-foot trail, interactive educational stations and a woodland classroom. The project is part of Regeneron’s 10th annual Day for Doing Good, a global volunteer initiative that brings employees together to support organizations in their communities.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 19, marking the start of a week of volunteer work on the pathway. More than 300 Regeneron volunteers were expected to help construct the trail and learning stations, while another 180 employees were scheduled to assemble 500 take-home STEM kits for students.
For BOCES, the project builds on several years of efforts to expand outdoor learning opportunities on its campus.
The partnership between Regeneron and BOCES began approximately five years ago, when a Regeneron scientist and colleagues first brought volunteers to the campus. Since then, employees have worked alongside BOCES staff on projects involving environmental education and campus improvements.
As Regeneron’s 10th Day for Doing Good approached, the organizations began discussing how they could create something that would continue benefiting students beyond the annual volunteer week.
Those conversations led to the development of the Discovery Pathway.
BOCES educators had already been working toward creating additional outdoor learning spaces, including trails, gardens and areas for hands-on environmental education. The new pathway expands those efforts while incorporating accessibility into its design.
The trail and each learning station were planned to accommodate students using wheelchairs and other mobility devices, allowing students with different abilities to participate in activities together.
The pathway includes several stations designed to connect classroom lessons with the natural environment. At the Woodland Mathematics & Measurement Station, students will be able to measure trees, collect data and explore mathematical patterns found in forests.
Another station, called Nature’s Engineers, will focus on insects, habitats and how natural systems can inspire human inventions. The Sensory Science Exploration Area will encourage students to use sound, touch and observation to investigate their surroundings.
Students will also be able to study wildlife and environmental conditions near a vernal pool habitat at the Environmental Investigation Station. A woodland classroom will provide space for group lessons and discussions.
According to BOCES, the stations were developed with input from educators and naturalists at its Center for Environmental Education, along with staff from other educational programs.
Students in BOCES’ Urban Forestry and Construction Technology programs also helped inform aspects of the planning and design process.
The pathway is intended to serve students enrolled in BOCES programs as well as school districts throughout the region. The Center for Environmental Education currently works with more than 40 schools and educational organizations, reaching tens of thousands of students annually through its existing programs.
Initial activity guides will focus on elementary school students in kindergarten through fifth grade, although the pathway will offer learning opportunities that can be adapted for older students.
Schools will be able to arrange visits through the Center for Environmental Education, with options for independent exploration or guided activities led by environmental educators.
BOCES officials said keeping the experience accessible and affordable was an important part of the planning process, particularly for schools that face transportation costs, staffing limitations or accessibility challenges when organizing field trips.
For Regeneron, the project represents an extension of its STEM-Fueled initiative, which supports educational opportunities intended to encourage students to pursue science and related fields.
“This pathway is an extension of STEM-Fueled, our collection of programs and partnerships that empowers young scientists to pursue bold ideas and brings STEM experiences to students and educators,” said Christina Chan, Regeneron’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, during the October 19 groundbreaking ceremony.
Regeneron’s Day for Doing Good began in 2017 with approximately 3,600 volunteers participating in 227 projects. This year, the company anticipated more than 7,000 employees volunteering across 13 countries, contributing more than 27,000 hours to nearly 500 projects.
In Westchester alone, approximately 3,000 employees were expected to volunteer with 120 organizations during the week.
The Discovery Pathway is one of several projects planned to mark the initiative’s 10th anniversary, with Regeneron employees at its Rensselaer location also developing a companion pathway at Saratoga Spa State Park.
For BOCES, the lasting value of the project will depend on how students use the new space in the years ahead.
“What I’m most looking forward to is seeing students use the pathway for the first time,” said Dan Novak, assistant director of environmental education and sustainability at BOCES’ Center for Environmental Education. “After months of planning and a week of incredible volunteer effort, the true measure of success won’t be the trail, structures, or stations themselves. It will be the students exploring, asking questions, making discoveries, and engaging with STEM in ways that spark curiosity and excitement.”
Novak hopes the pathway will give students of different abilities opportunities to learn together and encourage other schools to consider ways to make outdoor education more accessible.
The pathway will remain on the BOCES campus as a permanent educational resource, with opportunities to expand its learning stations and programming in the future.
