Oswego High School’s Waterfront Learning Initiative in full swing

The Oswego City School District’s 'From Classroom to Waterfront' Project is making waves at OHS. 

This hands-on learning initiative is designed to connect students with the environmental and historical significance of the Lake Ontario watershed and the recently designated Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. The program, supported by a $29,570 grant request, is a partnership between the Oswego City School District (OCSD), the H. Lee White Maritime Museum and the City of Oswego. The goal is to engage high school students in producing educational content that will be shared with the public through kiosks, signs and digital media.

“Our Oswego City School District waterfront project connects several courses at our high school to provide students with valuable, hands-on experiences in career fields like television production and engineering,” said Jamie Sykut, the project lead and OCSD’s Director of Instructional Technology, Network, Information and Multimedia Systems.  

In the television production class, students will research local history and ecology, then plan and produce short educational videos highlighting key aspects of the Lake Ontario watershed and sanctuary. 

Videos will be accessible to the public through signs placed around the Oswego waterfront. Each sign will include a QR code linking to student-created content. Two video kiosks will also be installed — one at Oswego High School and one at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum — allowing visitors to view student work on demand.

In the engineering course, students will design and construct remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, which they will first test in the school’s pool. Later, during scheduled field trips, students will have the opportunity to operate professional ROVs in Oswego Harbor and tour the Oswego lighthouse and maritime museum.

The initiative will result in a minimum of 21 student-produced videos and is intended to leave a lasting impact on the surrounding community. Equipment purchased through the project, including a vinyl sign printer and ROV kits, will allow for future student cohorts to participate and continue adding new content.

“Our partnerships with the H. Lee White Maritime Museum, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the City of Oswego strengthen the students' connection to their community,” Sykut added.

In addition to Sykut, teachers Matt Bock, David Wilcox, Kim Nelson and Erin Platten are playing key roles in overseeing and supporting this project’s success.

This Waterfront Learning Initiative aims to create lasting educational opportunities and deepen the community’s connection to the region’s maritime history for years to come, further instilling the district’s mission to empower and engage students to guarantee their successful future.