The Schooba Mentor program kicked off this past Tuesday, and both students and mentors began their training for the Naui Scuba Diver Certification. Instruction for the course is being run by Ocean Horizons Scuba. All classes will consist of a classroom and pool session. Tuesday provided a basic introduction to scuba and its equipment, followed by a pool session covering basic swimming and skin diving skills and techniques. Session 1 is in the books, so grab a slice at Schmooks, your crochet hooks, that Sharper Image alarm clock that made sounds of babbling brooks, and have a looks!
Posts Tagged 'academy'
Naui Scuba Diver Course, Class 1
Published June 2, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, after school, at risk, brooklyn, disadvantaged, dive, diver, diving, inner city, low-income, lyons, mentor, mentoring, naui, new york city, ngo, non-profit, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, ocean horizons scuba, prospect park, schooba, school, science, SCUBA, tutoring, underprivileged, urban, ymca
Thank you Diver Magazine!
Published March 23, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, after school, at risk, brooklyn, disadvantaged, diver, diver magazine, diving, donation, education, engagement, high needs, high school, inner city, learning, low-income, manhattan, middle school, new york city, non-profit, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, ost, out of school, schooba, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, tutoring, underserved, urban
LES Ecology Center Trip!
Published March 21, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, after school, at risk, brooklyn, composting, credit, cso, disadvantaged, diving, east river park, ecology center, education, engagement, environmental, fishing, green, high needs, high school, jimmy buffett, learning, les, low-income, lower east side, lyons community school, manhattan, mentoring, middle school, new york city, ngo, non-profit, nonprofit, ny aquarium, nyc, ost, out of school, schooba, school, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, sustainability, sustainable, tutoring, underprivileged, urban, youth development
This past Saturday, we took a small group to the Lower East Side Ecology Center. They’re located in East River Park, and “work toward a more sustainable New York City by providing community-based recycling and composting programs, developing local stewardship of green space, and increasing community awareness, involvement and youth development through environmental education programs.” Have a look at some snapshots from the day.

First, he brought us to the CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) and schooled us on the ramifications of a polluted sewer system.
It was then time for a little East River fishing!
Next trip: NY Aquarium on 4/2. Stay posted!
Pool session 3/13/11
Published March 15, 2011 Uncategorized 2 CommentsTags: academy, after school, at risk, brooklyn, Cartesian diver, disadvantaged, diving, dsd, east river, education, engagement, engaging, experiential, fun, hands on, high needs, hydrodynamics, inner city, lcs, learning, low-income, lyons community school, manhattan, naui, new york city, ngo, non-profit, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, oceanblue divers, ost, out of school, padi, schooba, school, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, title I, tutor, tutoring, underprivileged, underserved, underwater, urban, water, waterside plaza
On January 15, The Schooba Academy launched its pilot program. On March 13, it went out with a bang. For their last event of the course, the Schoobents got back in pool to test their wits at some underwater science! (All underwater photos courtesy of Oceanblue Divers. Thank you!)
Again, we did our training at Waterside Plaza with Oceanblue Divers.
We got to the pool and began gearing up.
There was a quick refresher course, and we were all set to go!

"Hey Zach, can you help me out. Please hurry up because I want to go scuba diving so bad. Schooba rules." - Rolman
Once underwater, some science was in order.

"What are you guys so excited about? Hold on, I don't want to miss any science. I'm coming over." - Lassana

"Oh, no way! Science underwater!! Now, that's cool. No, I won't give it back yet. Not until I experiment with it for a while." - Lassana
We then turned our science experiment into a football and invented a new sport! …All the while investigating the amazing properties of water.
The pool was our playground inside of a classroom. We scuba’d, we science’d, and we had a whole lot of fun. A few more shots from the day:
Big thanks to Oceanblue Divers and all who came down and helped out. More to come soon, so stay with the tune!
Staten Island Ferry and Museum trip!
Published March 6, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, after school, at risk, brooklyn, disadvantaged, disenfranchised, diving, education, engagement, ferry, fun, high needs, inner city, learning, low-income, manhattan, museum, new york city, ngo, non-profit, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, out of school, schooba, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, si, st. george, staten island, tutor, tutoring, under served, underprivileged, urban, whitehall, yankees
“Staten Island is like its own little island.” – Anonymous Schoobent
Oh, how right he is. And this past Saturday, The Schooba Academy got up close and personal with New York’s most isolated borough. We met at 10:00AM and headed out for The Schooba Academy’s first boat ride.

L to the 4/5 down to Bowling Green (accounting for scheduled service changes). Check out Rodney's reading material.
We arrived at the terminal just in time for our ferry.

An almost group shot in front of the terminal. The sign above us reads, "Staten Island Ferry". The bag I'm carrying holds 14 Sergio sandwiches.
We arrived at the other island, ate our lunch, and headed for the museum. It was a short but totally awesome walk that brought us within mere feet of Yankees Stadium!!
Inside the museum:
After the museum, it was back to the boat and BK! Big thanks to Alyssa and Jesus’ family for helping out. Only one more event to go for the pilot program! Next up, final pool session!
Schooba to run a new program, this time bearing credits!
Published March 4, 2011 Uncategorized 2 CommentsTags: academy, after school, at risk, bk, brooklyn, disadvantaged, diving, education, engagement, fun, grant, hands on, high needs, high school, high school credit, inner city, learning, low-income, lyons community school, manhattan, middle school, new york city, ngo, non-profit, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, overage, padi, schooba, school, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, tutoring, under credited, underprivileged, urban, water
With just a week to go until the end of our pilot program, Lyons Community School has commissioned Schooba to run another course! The decision came as a result of their recent receiving of a grant, so details are still a bit up in the air. Some things we do know:
- The course will be 54 hours long!
- We will be working exclusively with students that are over-age and under-credited!!
- Students will be able to receive up to 3 High School Science credits!!!
- We’ll be getting paid!!!!
- Classes start Monday, 3/7!!!!
Stay tuned!
Schooba, out.
Curriculum printed!
Published December 16, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, at risk, curricula, curriculum, disadvantaged, diving, education, high needs, intermediate level, learning, low-income, major understandings, new york city, northeast, nyc, nys standards, schooba, school, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, underprivileged, urban
The Schooba curriculum works as an interactive guide, where a combination of lessons, activities, and demonstrations present standards-based science through scuba diving.
In the pilot curriculum, 5 NYS Intermediate Level (Grades 5-8) Science Core Curriculum Major Understandings are covered:
- LE 1.2d During respiration, cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food. The respiratory system supplies oxygen and removes carbon dioxide (gas exchange)
- PE 2.1b As altitude increases, air pressure decreases
- PE 3.1d Gases have neither a determined shape nor a definite volume. Gases assume the shape and volume of a closed container
- PE 3.1h Density can be described as the amount of matter that is in a given amount of space. If two objects have equal volume, but one has more mass, the one with more mass is denser
- PE 3.1i Buoyancy is determined by comparative densities
Help kids learn science through scuba diving!
The Academy rings the bell!
Published December 14, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: academy, adventure, at risk, casey mckinlay, caves, disadvantaged, disenfranchised, diving, ec, explorers club, high needs, jarrod jablonski, new york city, nyc, schooba, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, spelunking, underprivileged, underwater, urban
Last night The Schooba Academy made its first ever appearance at the illustrious Explorer’s Club. Set amidst the quaint brownstones of the Upper East Side, the EC headquarters is a gathering place for some of the world’s greatest explorers. Among the club members’ many accomplishments are: first to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mt. Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, and first to the moon. Not extraordinary at the club, you might find your Average Joe sharing good cheese and conversation with a swashbuckler of world fame.
Last night, I went to listen to Jarrod Jablonski and Casey McKinlay speak about their adventures exploring some of the largest underwater cave systems in the world. As tradition, transition from the cocktail hour into the lecture hall is signaled by the ringing of the famous Explorer’s Club bell. And as fate would have it, last night, that honor fell on moi. I thought I’d capture my 15 minutes via my camera phone, and I quickly handed it off to the gentleman next to me in tweed … which turned out to be a bad choice.
Help The Schooba Academy support a generation of adventurers with camera phone operating capabilities!
My one pager, take 2
Published September 28, 2010 Uncategorized 2 CommentsTags: academy, curriculum, engagement, fun, interest, intermediate level, learning, low-income, major understandings, mentor, nyc, nys standards, one pager, open water, padi, schooba, science, SCUBA, students, take 2
Let me know what you think … seriously.
The Schooba Academy
Teaching Science through SCUBA
Who we are:
The Schooba Academy has designed a curriculum that aligns the PADI Open Water Scuba Diver training to address 20 NYS Intermediate Level Science Core Curriculum Major Understandings. In our program, students from low-income communities are paired with a screened and qualified mentor, and together they complete the Schooba course. Throughout the program, the student receives 1:1 tutoring from their mentor on the science involved in SCUBA diving.
Why we work:
We believe that a knowledge of science empowers people to be critical and conscious citizens, and that an authentic, long-term engagement is the best foundation for this knowledge. Unfortunately, students from low-income communities continue to lack skills and an interest in the sciences when compared to their higher-income peers.
The Schooba Academy’s mission is to foster a sustained engagement in science for students from low-income communities through the learning of SCUBA diving.
What will happen:
A student that completes our program will become a student that sees science as an interesting and worthwhile investment. This student will perform better in science academically, pursue careers and opportunities in science more aggressively, and be more critical and conscious in their decisions.
Partnership:
The Schooba Academy is looking to partner with various SCUBA related businesses. We are in need of PADI Open Water Diver Manuals, SCUBA equipment, and the use of pool facilities. In return, our partners will receive:
- The opportunity of being a part of a new and innovative organization dedicated to helping young people in need
- Positive PR and the opportunity of marketing their involvement with The Schooba Academy
- Retail traffic
- Exclusive Open Water training dive referrals for our partnering dive shop





































































