BEACON, NY – Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s Tideline Program Director, Eli Schloss met with 10 residents from the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, who are students at the Yonkers campus of the John A. Coleman School, at the Yonkers Pier on Friday, April 13th for a very special day of Hudson River education. The students participated in Clearwater’s onland education program where they were introduced to Hudson River fish, shoreline artifacts, the history of the Hudson River and traditional folk songs.

The Pediatric Center is a not-for-profit, post-acute medical center that serves the most medically complex children in New York State and offers the vital medical, nursing, therapeutic and educational services that these children need to reach their greatest potential. The Pediatric Center was first introduced to Clearwater’s onland education program back in 2016 through a teacher at the Coleman School, Allison Klein, who is also a longtime volunteer and coordinator of the children’s area at the Clearwater Festival. Klein was named the 2017 NYS Council for Exceptional Children Award Winner for Excellence in Teaching.

“We are so grateful that our students were able to participate in the Tideline Program for a second time,” said Klein.“Once again, our children had the opportunity to learn about the Hudson River through a variety of multisensory experiences including touching aquatic life and artifacts and singing songs about the river,” she said. “This program was another wonderful way to engage our medically complex and technology-dependent children with their community. The Clearwater educators made this experience unforgettable for all of our children through their enthusiasm, creativity and passion!”

Tideline Program Director, Eli Schloss commented, “Working with the children of the Pediatric Center and the Coleman School is always a pleasure. We are used to reactions of amazement when we introduce the live animals and historic artifacts, and with this group, it is the same. The recognition of the material may be a bit different, but it is very clear that the students are excited and energized by the Hudson River life and history. The reason our job is so dynamic is that every audience is unique, and we must adapt our message in different ways. After our program, there is no question that these students, like many, understand that the estuary is a beautiful, diverse place and that we all must take part in protecting and restoring the river. We can’t thank the staff from the school enough, they were helpful, kind, and so committed to the well-being of these students.”

Clearwater’s Tideline programs reach all learning styles through hands-on experiential learning. Students evaluate the health of the river with first-hand interactions with the living environment as they catch, identify, and classify fish and invertebrates. They can predict the future of the river by looking at the historical uses of the river and its role as the birthplace of the environmental movement. Students connect the ecology, beauty, and environmental challenges of the river to their own lives.

Visit www.clearwater.org for more information on Clearwater’s shore based programs, as well as the sailing classroom onboard sloop Clearwater.  

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About Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Launched in 1969 by legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champions of the Hudson River. To date, more than half a million people have experienced their first real look at an estuary’s ecosystem aboard the sloop Clearwater.  Clearwater has become the grassroots model for producing positive changes to protect our planet. For more information, visit www.clearwater.org.

About the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center

Now celebrating its 30th year of service, the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center is a not-for-profit, post-acute medical center that is nationally recognized as a leader in the care of technology-dependent and medically complex children. Caring for 169 children, the Pediatric Center is the largest provider in the country for this unique population. The Pediatric Center offers vital medical, nursing, therapeutic and educational services that these children need to reach their greatest potential. The children who live at the Pediatric Center receive short-term interventions, as well as long-term care where the Pediatric Center becomes a “home.” In this case, children can spend years receiving expert medical care and respiratory services delivered by a full team of highly-trained specialists and nursing staff, 24-hours a day. The Pediatric Center is New York’s leader in the care of a critically underserved population of children who need long-term respiratory support to live. Children receive top-quality educational services thanks to the on-site John A. Coleman School. Our pastoral care, Child Life, recreation, social work and transportation teams fully support families, welcome them with open hearts and make the Pediatric Center their home. We have a five-star rating in the “Best Nursing Homes” category of U.S. News & World Report. Our state-of-the-art, child-centered building is the only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified “green” children’s post-acute care center in the country. The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of New York and is supported by the St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation. Other supported organizations of the Foundation include the John A. Coleman School and the Children’s Rehabilitation Center. Learn more about the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center at www.setonpediatric.org and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/setonpediatric.

About the John A. Coleman School

The John A. Coleman School, with campuses in White Plains and Yonkers, is approved and funded by the New York State Departments of Education and Health, as well as local municipalities and school districts. We offer the highest quality of early childhood and special education services in center-based and community settings to children from over 40 school districts in Westchester, Putnam and the Bronx. The Coleman School has been recognized annually as a School of Excellence by the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). We are known for our comprehensive evaluations, early intervention services and inclusive nursery school, Children’s Place, reaching over 1,000 children and their families each year. The John A. Coleman School is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of New York and is supported by the St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation. Other supported organizations of the Foundation include the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center and the Children’s Rehabilitation Center. Learn more about the John A. Coleman School at www.colemanschool.org and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/jacschool.