June 20, 2008 - Groundwork Bridgeport, a local non-profit, has partnered with the teacher Kathy Godiksen and the students of Park City Prep to implement the successful Butterflies Are Teachers (BAT) Program at the school. 

 

Park City Prep is a charter school dedicated to promoting academic excellence, fostering interest and competence in math, science, and technology and improving the level of achievement of middle school students from communities historically under-represented in the fields of science, technology and math. Groundwork Bridgeport’s innovative BAT program provides science, math, and ecology education to students using the full life-cycle of the butterfly as the primary teaching tool. 

 

The Butterflies Are Teachers program provided the students at Park City Prep with an engaging, hands-on learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom. When the staff at Groundwork Bridgeport approached the school, Ms. Godiksen instantly jumped at the opportunity to involve her students in the program. Groundwork Bridgeport provided butterflies for the students to raise in the classroom over the past several weeks. Meanwhile, Ms. Godiksen took on the effort of building a new garden. She had the 8^th grade class design and build the garden as their lasting imprint at the school.

 

Both Park City Prep and Groundwork Bridgeport are located at the Bridgeport Trade and Technology Center on Barnum Avenue, which makes for an ideal partnership in the program. Using the tools provided by Groundwork Bridgeport, the students were involved in all aspects of the construction of the garden. The students moved topsoil, applied mulch and planted the garden. The project also instilled a sense of pride in the school for the students as the garden stands as a wonderful beautification project in the front courtyard of the school.

 

The BAT program has already been implemented at Harding High School and eleven Bridgeport public elementary and middle schools. High school “Green Team” students are trained as instructors/mentors to deliver the interactive curriculum to the elementary and middle school students. Under their guidance, younger students create and maintain butterfly flower gardens at their schools in order to observe and assist the multi-stage life cycle of the butterfly in the classroom. 

Park City Prep is located on the second floor of 510 Barnum Ave, Bridgeport CT. For more information, call 203-953-3766 or visit them on the web at www.parkcityprep.org.

 

Groundwork Bridgeport is a local non-profit dedicated to the regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by empowering people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being. For more information, please call (203) 335-6126, or visit www.groundworkbpt.org.