Science Teacher Brings Katmandu Experience to BFMS

Walter Hickey, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade science at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, recently returned from a teacher exchange in Katmandu, Nepal. Over a two-week period, he met science teachers and students working on the “Four Rivers, One World” environmental science project. Mr. Hickey began his involvement in this project last year with Ms. Jessie Gorant, the BFMS Global Concerns teacher. They hosted teachers from several countries at the school and participated in training at Stevens Institute of Technology to enable BFMS students to take part in this project.

The “Four Rivers, One World” project promotes active and responsible citizenship through international environmental science collaboration among science teachers and their students in the United States, Nepal, Bangladesh and India. It offers a unique opportunity to incorporate “real world” science experiments as it relates to the global concerns of safe drinking water, resource management and pollution. It also provides a rich opportunity for Teaneck students to communicate and work with students from around the world as they compare their data and solutions to pressing world issues.

Mr. Hickey, who is in his seventh year of teaching in Teaneck, was able to conduct several short videoconferences with his students during his trip. His students will test Hackensack River water. Ms. Gorant’s classes will help analyze and share their results through an online forum.

The project and trip were funded by a U.S. State Department grant.