Where environment is just right for learning

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. - As Caitlin Campbell was growing up at the Jersey Shore, the little worlds within the world around her - the flocks of egrets, the pods of migrating dolphins, the scores of tiny minnows she could scoop up in her hands - captured her attention longer than any video game or television program.

So in the eighth grade when she learned about a program called MATES, a first-of-its-kind Ocean County high school where she could delve so deeply into marine and environmental sciences that some courses could be credited toward college, she was onboard.

"I realized I could take a passion and an interest I have for the environment and the water and channel into something positive, into a future career," said Campbell, 17, a senior from Brick Township and one of 230 students at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science.

"The green movement is something that's going to be very important in the coming decades, and I want to be one of the people behind it bringing its positive message to the forefront," said Campbell, who plans a career in environmental communications.

The school is a comprehensive and selective public magnet school in the Ocean County Vocational Technical School District.

Only 60 of 250 applicants are admitted each year. They drive or are bused in from throughout the county.

Principal Alison Carroll said MATES' limited enrollment allowed her and other staff members to get to know students and tailor programs to their interests.

In its 10 years, MATES has grown from a sparsely staffed program for a handful of students operating out of shared classroom and laboratory space into rigorous and competitive curriculum taught by adjunct college professors in a two-year-old, 54,000-square-foot facility off Route 9.

The $12 million building was a joint venture by the school district, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders, and Ocean County College. The state provided about $4 million in funding.

The only program similar to MATES in New Jersey is the Marine Academy of Science and Technology operated by the Monmouth County Vocational Technical School District at Sandy Hook. About 250 students learn under a similar curriculum, but must join the Naval ROTC.

Ocean County students learn in modern labs, classrooms, assembly and conference rooms, a gym and workout facility, a media room, and a cafeteria.

Corridors are lined with aquariums and tanks filled with various species cared for by students. Walls are covered with student artwork and club announcements similar to those found in traditional high schools - but with a decidedly environmental bent.

"We do have time for all the usual high school activities like dances and sports teams with our sending districts, but I think most of the kids here are really geared to all the unique things this school is about," said Joe Convery, 15, of Jackson Township, president of the sophomore class.

Instead of sports teams, the students rally in all-grades competitions in the "Shore Bowl" with team names such as the Environs.

They aim to compete with like-minded students from around the country in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

Classwork is rigorous, with four periods a day lasting 80 minutes each - double the length at typical high schools.

"Sometimes you're so into what you're doing that it doesn't seem long enough," said senior Emily Villa, 18, of Toms River, who plans a career in international relations.

But it's the work outside the building that really sets MATES apart, said senior Stephen Bogan, 18, of Brick Township.

"To go out into the marine environment and conduct our own experiments and studies really gives us a chance to see what we have been learning about rather than just reading about it in a book," said Bogan, who, like his fellow students, has logged dozens of hours at nearby Barnegat Bay.

A considerable amount of research revolves around the school's mascot, the diamondback terrapin.

While some students have gotten involved in research projects with places including the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, others have helped educate elementary school students on environmental issues.

Bogan said he enjoyed a recent project charting water temperatures and salinity in Barnegat Bay.

"Our instructor had a device which allowed her to instantly read the information about the water, but she made us get the samples using more basic methods, which allowed us to really comprehend what we were doing," Bogan said.

All that hands-on experience often leads to "a lot of intellectual discussion," students said.

"Everyone has intelligent conversations here, and I think that helps the students thrive," Villa said.

Samantha Cash, 17, a senior from Lacey Township, said her experience at the school had helped her get a paid summer internship as a field technician at Drexel University.

Other students spent their time off working at places such as Jenkinson's Aquarium in Point Pleasant, Carroll said.

"After working with all of these bright, intelligent students, I know the world is in good hands for the future," Campbell said. "The program is so rigorous and demanding that no one is here unless they really want to be. And that changes the environment within the school."