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Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2003 Annual Report
Education Programs
The Children's Garden, which celebrates its 90th birthday in 2004, has welcomed youngsters in a nurturing environment since it first opened in 1914, and its original vision of fostering learning by doing is still as fresh today as it was then.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg gathered with BASE students at the Palm House during his awards ceremony for Excellence in Science and Technology.
As a strong proponent of field-based environmental studies, the Garden embarked on a new and historic endeavor to create the first high school in Brooklyn that focuses on the environment. Working with the New York City Department of Education and New Visions for Public Schools, BBG and Prospect Park Alliance are the lead community partners for Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment (BASE), a new small high school located in Prospect Heights High School across the street from the Garden. Following a highly competitive review process, BASE was selected as one of eight applicants out of 60 in Brooklyn to be part of the citywide New Century High Schools Initiative to create small, effective high schools that help students meet high standards of academic and personal success. The school offers a rigorous education that embraces an inquiry-based learning philosophy, an approach with a proven track record of success with students who have difficulties in more traditional school settings. BASE is comprised of three campuses that are within a stone's throw of each other: the academy itself, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Prospect Park. The school opened its doors in September 2003 for 125 ninth-graders. Over the next four years it will ultimately grow to 500 students in grades 9 through 12. This exciting new partnership has been made possible through generous support from the New Century High School Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Open Society Institute. The Garden also received a prestigious grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support its role in BASE.