Flushing school takes part in S.M.A.R.T. Expo

70 students from P.S. 219 in Flushing traveled to Madison Square Garden recently. But they weren’t there for a basketball game or a rap concert. Instead, they took part in the third annual S.M.A.R.T. Expo at Madison Square Garden, put on by Junior Achievement of New York (JANY), a non-profit educational organization that promotes economic literacy to students.
New York City’s leading corporations held science, math, art, reading and technology seminars to demonstrate science and technology to 600 students from more than 10 public and private middle schools and after-school sites in New York City and Long Island.
“Tech Guru” Sreenath Sreenivasan, host of twice-weekly morning technology report on WABC Eyewitness News, was the keynote speaker at this year’s event. Also on hand was Martha E. Stark, Esq., the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Finance. Fifteen booths were set up in the exhibit hall to give students a hands-on and interactive look at the basic keynote subjects important to their future success.
The science aspect of the day was presented by Pfizer Inc.; they offered Chemistry Bingo, a fun, raucous and interactive game where students learn while gambling on the depth of their knowledge of chemistry facts and principles.
Math was a Financial Obstacle Course, hosted by Commerce Bank. It was a financial Olympics where students competed in a life-size part monopoly, part obstacle course game by answering questions about finances and budgeting.
The artistic part of the afternoon was The Magic of Imagination, held by Disney Publishing. Those in attendance learned visualization and artistic techniques by drawing their own portraits, which were then scanned into a computer and superimposed on a well-known Disney scene background.
The School of Visual Arts ran the reading portion. Kids were encouraged to read by being given the option to own their personal self-made, funky, customized private journals.
Additionally, the technology seminar, overseen by the New York City Department of Education and Math Department, gave students the chance to work in teams to first build a car, and then test its road worthiness in a trip down a steep incline.
“Through the Expo, students discovered that science, math, art, reading and technology do not have to be intimidating, difficult or elite,” said Doug Schallau, President of JANY. “Students learned that these subjects are accessible and interesting to everyone and they are linked to, and impact every aspect of their lives.”