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## After 40 years, WISE still helping H.S. seniors follow their passions.

Posted on November 4, 2013 by DavidGreene

#### by Gary Stern, Lo-Hud.

#### Nov. 4, 2013

## http://bcove.me/8e4gbwxw

Everyone seems to be grumbling about something; high-stakes testing; the Common Core (its roll-out, design or both); the property-tax levy cap; plans to collect student data for some digi-cloud; the general loss of local control over schooling; and on and on.

So it was refreshing to visit Woodlands High School in Greenburgh on Friday and catch up with Vic Leviatin. I first met Vic 25 years ago when I was starting at the Journal News and Greenburgh was one of the school districts I was assigned to cover. At the time, Vic was about 15 years into nurturing something called the Woodlands Individualized Senior Experience. That’s WISE to you.

The idea behind WISE made too much sense. High school seniors are often stuck in a post-SAT holding pattern, waiting for prom and graduation. So the WISE program encouraged them to set up a project or internship focused on something they were actually interested in. Students had to get a mentor, keep a journal and go out there in the world to do and learn.

Leviatin retired in 1991. The following year, he started WISE Services, a non-profit consulting biz to help other high schools launch their own senior programs. I wrote about it in 1992, around the time the Cold War ended.

Now I’m back on the education beat (mostly covering the grumbling) and WISE is turning 40. So I returned to the WISE room at Woodlands, where Vic picked up in mid-sentence from the last time I saw him. Pushing 75, the guy is a force of nature—smart, deeply committed to education, impatient with bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo and an evangelist for the benefits of treating students like adults and setting them out to find their own muse.

“Do you believe that 17-year-olds still have to raise their hands to go out and use the bathroom” he said. “Why do we do that? The business world wouldn’t do that. These kids are smart. Old people get intimidated because they can text and use these devices while they’re doing other things. But they can. We should treat them like adults. Let them think.”

Check out these numbers. More than 3,500 Woodlands students have gone through WISE. And thanks to WISE Services, more than 45,000 seniors at over 100 high schools in several states have taken on some sort of project connected to a hobby or a course of study or a possible career path. (Sounds like “college and career readiness,” all you education reformers.)

When I visited Woodlands, I met several 17-year-old seniors who are just getting their projects moving. Brianna Warner is looking at costume design. Katrina Chin wants to study why some videos go viral. Taylor Ha plans to take pictures of people at different points in time and ask them how they changed on the inside between photos. Alonzo Louis wants to figure out how to improve the transportation system and traffic flow in White Plains (The citizens of central Westchester are rooting for you, my friend).

Paula Ramirez told me that she’s studying self-hatred awareness. I was intrigued but confused and asked her what she meant. “I want to educate people on the troubles some people go through every day,” she told me. “I want to understand why people hurt themselves by not eating or cutting themselves or when things lead to suicide.”

These young people are impressive. They’re focused and serious because they care about their projects. They’ve been given free rein to prove themselves. At a time when everyone seems demoralized by a move toward data-driven, one-size-fits-all education, the WISE program promotes an individualized experience. It’s in the name. There has got to be room for something like this in our public education system.

I met a fellow named Mandel Holland, who did his WISE project in 1985 about physical fitness and had Leviatin as his mentor. Now he’s back at Woodlands as a social studies teacher, mentoring today’s WISE students. “Students do always realize what a great program this is at first,” he said. “But then they get into it and can’t believe how lucky they are.”

Tyron Postell said he was a “knucklehead” back in his Woodlands days before WISE led to him in 1994 to work with kids at Greenburgh’s Highview Elementary School. He developed an interest in attending college as a result and is now also back at Woodlands focusing on, as he put it, “conflict resolution.” “WISE was life-changing for me,” he said.

WISE or WISE-influenced programs can now be found all across the Lower Hudson Valley. Croton-Harmon, Scarsdale and New Rochelle have had programs for more than 20 years. About a dozen staff members from WISE Services visit their client schools on a regular basis to help each craft the best possible local programs.

These days, Woodlands High begins preparing many freshmen by getting them to think about their interests and possible projects for down the road. In Shehnaz Hirji’s English class, students work in teams to prepare video projects. “We want to expose them to research so they have a foundation for their WISE experience,” she said.

Vic seems to remember every WISE project ever done at Woodlands – the students, their mentors, and where their projects led. He’ll tell you about two young men who kayacked on the Toms River in New Jersey 40 years ago and measured how industrial dumping had polluted the water. It was the first WISE project.

WISE Services is soon bringing on its first full-time executive director, Amy Price, the former head of a program for gifted students. But Vic isn’t going anywhere. He thrives on the long-term involvement of WISE’s earliest supporters, like Numa Rousseve, a former Greenburgh school board president whose children went through WISE.

Rousseve, a thoughtful gentleman I remember well from my days covering Greenburgh, serves on the WISE board and is now a staff member visiting client schools. He told me about a recent visit to the Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx and the challenge of getting students to think about education in a very different way. “We don’t want them to do something their teacher might want them to do or something they would feel safe doing in front of their classmates, but what they really want to do,” he said.

Vic smiled. “We really have got something here, don’t we,” he said.

## Beethoven Sonata Pathetique: Woodlands 1989

Posted on October 18, 2013 by admin

I had always enjoyed playing piano growing up and was half-way decent, but also (kind of) knew I wasn’t going to be a professional. Not least because a piano teacher had the gall to tell me in 10th grade “you’ve got a great ear, but you started technique too late and will never be a professional.” Classy lady. My WISE project was therefore a chance to maybe prove her wrong, but more honestly to do something that I knew I probably wouldn’t have the time to do again. So the spring of 1989 was spent taking music theory and doing a lot of piano practicing to learn all three movements of Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique. To this day it remains the longest, most complex piece of music I ever learned and while it’s been a long time since I ever played it in it’s entirety, it’s great to know that I could.

After high school I went on to get a degree in biochemistry, worked in cancer research for a few years then went on to get post-graduate degrees in business and biochemical engineering. I now run an energy company, and any dreams of being a professional musician are long behind me. But I’ve kept playing, if only in my free time. And occasionally in a bar band. My repertoire of late is more three-chords-and-the-truth than three movements, but I still credit WISE with giving me the musical self-confidence to keep at it, if only for a bit of fun. (The picture of me is from a recent gig, doing a bit of Elton John…)

## Restoration of a Fiberglass Row Boat Newton South High School

Posted on October 18, 2013 by admin

Chris and I worked at a marina in Boston in High School and a fiberglass row boat washed up on our docks that had leaks and had extensive damage to it. When we heard about the WISE program he thought it would be fun to learn about how to repair as well as restore the row boat. We started by researching how to fix the holes in the hull as well as the damage to the rub rails. We purchased the kit to patch the fiberglass hull and started to sand the area to prepare it for the patch. It was a nice hot day so Chris and I were in shorts and a t-shirt. We knew from sanding wood that we should wear masks to prevent us from inhaling the dust, so we had purchased masks and wore them while sanding the fiberglass.

We learned after this first experience that we should have worn clothing that covered our entire bodies because the fiberglass dust is very sharp and after we had finished sanding that day the exposed parts of our body were extremely itchy because all the tiny shards of fiberglass stuck into our skin and made us very uncomfortable for the rest of the day. After that day every time we sanded the fiberglass we wore full body suits to make sure our skin was not exposed to the fiberglass dust. After the hull was fixed we painted the hull, built a wooden bench to sit on as well as made a wooden floor board so if water got in the boat we would not have to stand in the water because it would be in the space between the wooden floor and the bottom of the hull.

I learned a lot from this experience and not just about how to restore a fiberglass boat. I learned how to schedule my time to make sure all tasks got done for the deadline of the project as well as how to motivate myself to get work done when no one was overseeing me and making sure I was doing what needed to be done. This helped me out a lot in life after High School because you do not always have someone overseeing you and making sure you get everything done that needs to be done. I would recommend this program to all seniors to help prepare them for life.

## The Canoe 2001

Posted on October 18, 2013 by DavidGreene

I grew up spending summers canoeing in Canada. When I found out that I could spend a month working completely without distractions on a project, I instantly began researching canoe designs and construction options. I negotiated an early graduation present from my dad who bought me the lumber. I visited Mr. Rambone, the Middle School technology teacher and convinced him to buy two router bits that I would need to mill the lumber correctly.

I settled on a cedar strip construction method, which uses long, thin pieces of cedar glued together along rounded tongue and groove edges (for which I needed the router bit). I ordered a book and plans from a company that assured that I could build the boat with little experience and few tools.

I started working on the canoe well before Senior Options began, putting in weekends and evenings to assure that I’d have something to show by the due date. As May turned into June, I coerced friends to come over and help with especially tricky steps, like laying the fiberglass and epoxy on the inside of the hull. I worked twelve, fourteen hours a day. I didn’t paddle the finished product until the summer after I’d graduated. The first few paddle strokes across a small mountain pond in the Berkshires transported me to adulthood. As I paddled away from shore and my proud parents, I looked ahead to college and future projects.

The journey continues for me some twelve years later, still largely in my canoe. Today I work as a research geologist. My work mostly concerns how rivers change downstream from dams. I therefore spend lots of time in my canoe deploying instruments and collecting sediment and water samples. Practicing long-term planning and diligence when building the canoe has served me well many times throughout college and my short career.

## My WISE Road to Med School (A Med school application essay)

Posted on October 18, 2013 by DavidGreene

Rather slipping into a “senior slump,” I was able to take great advantage of the WISE/Senior Options program at Scarsdale High School. I was already strongly considering medicine as a career path, and decided my senior options would be best used as an opportunity to explore life as a physician. I am glad I did.

I enlisted the help of my friend’s father, Dr. George Zambetti, an orthopedic surgeon who works out of both Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan and a private practice in his hometown of Scarsdale, NY. I knew Dr. Zambetti to be an excellent physician (he is the Fordham University team physician), and I felt he would be an ideal choice as a mentor, given our relationship.

Over the course of our six weeks together, I learned a tremendous amount from Dr. Zambetti. While at the hospital, I attended rounds, grand rounds, and was even lucky enough to observe close to a dozen procedures in the Operating Room. Dr. Zambetti specializes in knees and shoulders, and as such I witnessed a number of arthroscopic ACL, torn menisci, and rotator cuff repairs. Being able to observe those types of procedures at such a young age was a truly eye opening and enlightening experience.

Moreover, I was fortunate to shadow Dr. Zambetti while examining patients in his office. It was an incredible introduction to the medical interview, a process that appears mundane to so many, yet is crucial in establishing the doctor-patient relationship and ensuring the foundation for proper care. I observed every facet of his bedside manner, from his nonverbal communication cues to the way he spoke to his patients. Given the amiable atmosphere in the room and the respect that his patients showed him, I feel I truly learned from the best.

I couldn’t have asked for a better initial exposure to clinical medicine. Any doubts I had prior to my experience were completely eliminated. By observing surgeries, attending grand rounds, studying doctor-patient interactions, and even commuting into Manhattan at 6 AM, I gained a full understanding of life as a physician. I thought I had even found my calling as an orthopedic surgeon (I am now strongly leaning toward Pediatrics). My WISE/Senior Options experience was educational, interesting, and enlightening, and it helped me to discover my overwhelming passion for medicine.

Oddly enough, my Senior Options led me to Med School in another way. Twenty Four of my fellow seniors and 6 chaperones (including my dad and mom) went to New Orleans for a week building a new home for a gentleman in nearby Waveland, Mississippi. I was fascinated by N’awlins, and as a result made sure I applied to Tulane Med School.

Five years after Senior Options I started there this August.

## Tennis Coach

Posted on October 18, 2013 by admin

My name is Susan Fitts-Sibilia. I am a 1975 Woodlands graduate. By January of my senior year I was ready to leave high school and get on with the next chapter of my life. However, this was not a viable option. So, I decided to do the WISE program….to be honest… so I could get out of class. I had no idea what kind of life changing experience it was going to turn out to be.

Tennis had been my passion. I played varsity tennis since I was a sophomore. When I started thinking about what to do I recalled that I couldn’t play as a freshman because we did not have a junior varsity tennis team. So, I decided to organize and coach one as my WISE project. In addition I held clinics for elementary school children teaching them the fundamentals.

What I discovered as a 17 year old would wind up shaping who I became as an adult. Children became my passion. Observing them grasping a new skill was so powerful, I became a teacher. In 2009, after teaching for 30 years, I joined WISE Services because I believe so much in what it does for high school seniors.

Without the WISE program I do not know if I would have ever discovered my true passion. Thank you WISE.

## CELEBRATE WISE-LY ON OCTOBER 24TH

Posted on October 4, 2013 by DavidGreene

IF YOU HAVEN’T YET….

BE SURE TO REGISTER FOR OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!!!!

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e800dqnc34c9a4c5&llr=xnukhikab

We at WISE Services hope you agree with us that WISE/SENIOR OPTIONS is a valuable program for all high school seniors. It is WISE Services’ mission to help WISE schools sustain their programs and to help new schools acquire a WISE program. To do that we must raise money, not only to pay expenses but to grow as an organization to ensure the future of this fabulous program for future generations of high school seniors.

Briefly, the celebration is a dinner/fundraiser for WISE Services honoring Deborah Meier, Eric Rothschild, and Bill Brown, all significant pioneers in different ways in the development of our program.

Our Keynote speaker will be WISE-Senior Options 1995 alum from Scarsdale HS, Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of Too Big To Fail, NY Times columnist, and noted commentator on various news programs.

The cost per ticket is $250. We are making arrangements for some students to go for free as a result of donations and celebrants buying bulk tickets so we can have some to share.

Whether or not you can come please pass the URL on to people you think might be interested, or send me their email or snail mail addresses.

If you cannot come, please click on the invitation to send us a donation of your choice, which is entirely tax deductible.

## SADNESS AND HOPE

Posted on May 20, 2013 by DavidGreene

I came home from Sheana’s presentation to the sad news of Bill Brown’s passing. What a remarkable man he was! One of those “most unforgettable people you’ve ever met” Outspoken, positive, pragmatic, intelligent and caring about his colleagues and totally supportive of the WISE program and the young people, including his own four children and grandchildren, that it impacts. I especially miss our conversations about the struggles of the New York Knickerbockers. I send my love on to Phyllis and her family in this difficult time. Bill touched us all in many ways. I will truly miss him. He made a difference, as they say, in so many lives.

Sheana’s presentation was titled: “My Walk with God and Journey into Healthcare” It was especially fitting as it dovetailed with Bill’s passing. Sheana’s life has been marked by tragic circumstances: parent divorce, Great Recession’s impact upon her Dad’s income. For a time this semester she was the care giver for her 7year old sister. Her journal reflects days without heat, cold showers, nights without supper, all the while in training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant with labs, tests, practicum, and internships in nursing homes.

Over all of this was her positive, sunny disposition based upon her Christian life, giving over her life to God, and a wonderful seemingly happy outlook on everything. Her presentation was a “tour de force”. She spoke passionately, calmly, positively, and with articulation about her faith, struggles, and growth through the WISE Journey.

Her wonderful mentor, Marian Zajac, has become a surrogate Mother to Sheana in the process. Her church youth leaders have opened their home to Sheana and her life has greatly improved since then. She will take the Certification exam for Certified Nursing Assistant status tomorrow. She now works part-time and will interview on Monday for a CNA position at the Ellenville Hospital.

Sheana’s goal is to become a Missionary Registered Nurse. During the post presentation evaluation, Maggie Colan, task force member who was greatly impacted by Sheana, offered two suggested readings: “The Five People you Meet In Heaven”, by Mitch Albom, and “the Year of Living Biblically”. Maggie also suggested that Sheana investigate joining the Peace Corps following her completion of the Associates Degree in Nursing as a way to obtain the support needed to finish her long term goal of a Masters and Doctorate.

Sheana’s conclusion about her WISE Journey: “I grew so much, I am very grateful for God giving me Ms. Zajac’s mentorship. I am grateful for Franny’s leadership and for the Rondout Valley WISE Task Force. I want to keep learning, because life, with God’s help, can be richer for what we learn.”

To say that I am a little emotional about Sheana’s positive outlook and personal improvement is putting it mildly.

Andy Lutz

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