The Marine Academy of Technological and Environmental Science

17 High School at its Best The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science Students watching fish swim in a laboratory at the Marine Academy???s new campus. Peg Roma, Principal, Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, Retired On September 22, 2006, the longawaited Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Manahawkin, New Jersey took place under sunny skies and with much local fanfare. Our seven-yearold school is comprised of students in grades 9 through 12 who want to learn more about our environment. As the newest addition to the Ocean County Vocational School District, MATES has already graduated two successful senior classes (2005 and 2006); until completion this year of the Manahawkin campus, the Academy shared a building at the Vocational School District???s Toms River Center. The new facility is a high tech dream that has been years in the making. Input from scientific experts and the staff itself has produced labs that rival those of many colleges. Scientific equipment companies are providing materials and technical assistance to be showcased in our labs and programs. Located just a few miles from Barnegat Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the New Jersey Pinelands, the Academy uses the surrounding areas as an outdoor classroom. Fieldwork and research are a mandatory part of all science classes. Besides a full college preparatory curriculum, we require at least 40 hours in the sciences, which include Marine Science, Marine Biology, Marine Chemistry, Ecology, Environmental Science, and Oceanography as well as the more traditional high school offerings. Curricular integration encourages other disciplines to join in this fieldwork and research. We offer college courses on site. For example, we are cooperating with Ocean County College for our teachers to offer their Environmental Science and English 4 classes on the MATES campus. Other similar collaborations are being planned. Partnerships with local agencies and groups bring experts to our classrooms and the students to internships in the field. The Mission of MATES is to provide an opportunity to students in Ocean County to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Students at the Academy participate in an intimate, integrated, and challenging curriculum with a focus on marine and environmental science. MATES empowers its students with skills important to post-secondary study and employment in a global society. Photos: MATES/OCVTS 18 Our students share their knowledge and enthusiasm through outreach at various local elementary and middle schools. In addition, the students have presented their research at conferences such as that of the National Association of Science and the American Junior Academy of Science over the last few years. Although not all of our graduates have gone directly into the sciences, most have incorporated their love of the ocean and the environment into their career choices, such as environmental engineering and law. Now that the physical needs of the Academy have been taken care of, the administration is expanding its advisory committee and establishing new and exciting agreements with various colleges to list MATES courses they will accept as meeting their curricular requirements. Continuing a seven-year tradition of academic excellence, MATES is actively building an ever stronger program in Technology and Environmental Science. If you are interested in learning more about the Academy or becoming a part of our advisory committee please contact us at Acarrol@mail.ocvts.org. The Marine Academy???s welcoming front entrance.