Low test scores prompt new school program

After test results featured in the Department of Education’s New Jersey School Report Card revealed a large disparity in academic test scores of urban and suburban elementary schools, two University faculty members decided they had to take action.
Professors Radha Jagannathan and Michael Camasso broke ground with “Nurture Through Nature,” an after-school program designed to assist young children interested in science through hands-on experiences.
“The intention is to get [students] involved in science by sparking an interest while they are young,” Jagannathan said. “If you engage them at an earlier age, rather than later, then you will get more reward.”
The program went from a concept to concrete with funding from Rutgers’ Academic Excellence Fund, but Jagannathan and Camasso said they knew they would need more. They turned to long time University neighbor Johnson and Johnson for additional support, Jagannathan said.
Johnson and Johnson Corporate Contributions Manager Joanne Fillweber said the concept of the project fell in line with Johnson and Johnson’s values.
She said the company and the University have worked in partnership together for over 120 years, and they are both responsible for giving back to New Brunswick.
“Our responsibility is to the community in which we live and work. Our responsibility to our community is in our company’s credo,” Fillweber said. “We were intrigued with the concept of bringing children into gardens to help them gain the levels of math and science.”
The first trial of the program will run at New Brunswick’s Paul Robeson Community School, which had far lower results compared to other local elementary schools, according to a press release. The program is designed to increase academic proficiency through language and math skills to the study of science and the environment with hands-on learning.
Jagannathan and Camasso said they hope that by opening urban students’ eyes to nature, they could make science, nature and health an exciting trend among elementary students, according to the release.
“We wanted to take advantage of the fact that children at an early age often show interest in birds, flowers, snakes and stars,” Camasso said in the release.
The idea that the University and a major, global corporation like Johnson and Johnson find ways to collaborate with their community is particularly important, said Cook College junior Katie Heffernan.
“It’s easy for a big business just to be focused on business and forgetting about the other people who live [in New Brunswick],” Heffernan said. “The fact that they are not only spending money but have the time to give back is really pretty amazing.”
Jagannathan said another important reason for this community intervention is not only to help raise scores in academic proficiency but also to help educate these children in other aspects of their lives outside of the classroom.
“We also want to help them learn the importance of nutrition,” Jagannathan said. “We can show them how to be healthy and even grow their own food with our program ‘Seeds to Salad.’”
The initial response to the program appears to be positive because students are in a lottery to decide who would be able to participate, Jagannathan said.
“We had to be fair,” Jagannathan said. “Our hope is that interest will be passed along and all the children become more aware of their natural surroundings.”