Our Unparalleled Harbor School

Being a senior in any high school gives you a sense of responsibility and leadership. In the New York Harbor School however, being a senior means more, especially in Career Technical Education (CTE) program.  Each CTE has a hands on portion that requires a safety run down and team building. We, in a way, depend on each other in order to successfully get a task done in our class and in our school. While our CTEs need us to look out for one another, our harbor depends on us too. All CTEs come together and contribute to the Billion Oyster Project. This project helps the water cleaner and more biodiverse by raising oysters to filter the water. The New York Harbor School also trains students to be career and college ready. Along with our normal academic courses, students are exposed to the lifestyle of working on water throughout their four years. By the time they graduate, they have a headstart in the maritime industry and work experience in general. Our high school careers really are careers. We all leave with knowledge of New York Harbor that no other school could give.
Last year, a senior that I barely knew was getting ready to graduate, and was also leaving her summer internship, Red Hook Boaters. She had worked with them for some time and they asked her for recommendations. Even though I barely knew her, she came up to me in the hallway one day to see if I was interested. Since we all depend on each other, we become a family. This school gives opportunities both on the water and off to create community and experience.