Blue Team

Launched in 2019, the Blue Team program gives Yonkers high school students the opportunity to train and be employed at CURB in an internship focused on investigating water quality in the Hudson River and outreach to the community. 

The research is focused on determining the severity and duration of fecal contamination in the Hudson River after combined sewer overflow (CSO) events, which informs  CURB staff when it may be safe to enter the water again after these pollution events. 

Tier 1: Winter Water Academy
A student’s journey through the Blue Team program starts with the Winter Water Academy program, a 4-day intensive training held at CURB over the public school’s February winter break. 

The Academy serves 20 students a year and is a deep dive into a wealth of environmental science topics and techniques and includes lessons on the Hudson River, urban watersheds, stormwater, sewer overflows, interactive training in field sampling and lab work, and a tour of the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Applications open for WWA in November 

Tier 2: The Blue Team
Following the Academy, 10 of those students are selected and hired for the 6-week paid Blue Team summer internship. 

Over the course of the program students collect and analyze approximately 40 water samples from the Hudson River for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria, collect rainfall data from our weather station, and track known CSO events. Their research has shown that after CSO events the river returns to safe swimmable bacteria levels within 24-48 hours. 

In addition to their water quality research, the students attend resume building and science communication workshops and take trips to the Science Barge and to the Science Building on the Sarah Lawrence College campus. 

To culminate their experience and share what they’ve learned with the community the Blue Team plans and executes a free event at CURB that features a presentation on their research and fun family activities like arts and crafts, storytime, seedling planting, flower pot painting, t-shirt tie-dying, face painting, kayaking, seining, and more. 

Tier 3: Blue Team Mentorship
Two Blue Team alumni are given the opportunity to return the following year for a paid mentorship position, guiding the Blue Team in all aspects of their work. While working together, the mentors also have a specialized focus either in Data Analysis or Community Outreach. A Sarah Lawrence College summer intern also helps with the program.  

For questions contact: ctobitsch@sarahlawrence.edu