WBUC Lighthouse Visit

Students from the Oswego High School WBUC TV broadcasting program stepped out of the classroom and onto the waves recently, with a visit to the H. Lee White Maritime Museum. During the field trip, students toured the museum's facilities, including the historic U.S. Army WWII Tugboat LT-5, and took a boat ride out to the iconic Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse for an exclusive look inside.

This hands-on experience was made possible through a partnership with the maritime museum and a National Marine Sanctuary Foundation grant. The $29,570 grant project, titled "From Classroom to Waterfront," was prepared by Dr. Jamie Sykut, director of instructional technology, and involves several district teachers, including Matthew Bock, Kim Nelson, Erin Platten and David Wilcox. The initiative bridges several high school courses with the local waterfront through underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) activities, student-produced media segments, and student-designed promotional artwork (example here). 

Community collaboration plays a heavy role in the project's success. The Oswego City Common Council approved the installation of community signage to highlight both the waterfront and the student's efforts. To bring the project full circle, the city's department of public works mounted the physical signs along the water front featuring QR codes that link directly to the educational videos produced by the WBUC students.

"Collaborating with the City, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and the H. Lee White Maritime Museum provides an enormous advantage to our students, allowing them to showcase their classroom work in an authentic manner," said Sykut.

The 360 degree photos below, captured by the WBUC program, offer a look inside the historic lighthouse rooms for anyone who has not yet taken a tour.