Attentive Energy Partners with New York City’s Billion Oyster Project to Support Educational Programming

NEW YORK, New York – September 28, 2022 – Attentive Energy announces funding for the Billion Oyster Project’s Education Program which will cover all programmatic expenses for the upcoming year. Billion Oyster Project (BOP) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oyster reefs in the New York Harbor through public education initiatives, with the goal of restoring one billion oysters to the Harbor by 2035 with the help of New Yorkers. Oyster reefs provide habitats for many marine species, filter water for the ecosystem, and help shield New York City shorelines from storm damage. The project has planted 100 million oysters across 18 restoration sites with the help of more than 8,000 students and 11,000 volunteers so far.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Billion Oyster Project to support their critical, hands-on programming that brings communities and students closer to our natural environment. From local classroom support and teacher capacity building to strengthening the resiliency and future of the New York, the Billion Oyster Project’s mission aligns with Attentive Energy’s values of bringing deep experience and a community-first approach to local investment.”

— Damian Bednarz, Managing Director at Attentive Energy

Through a multi-year partnership with the National Science Foundation, BOP has developed the Human Harbor curriculum as part of their Education Program — a collection of K-12 science units that connect students directly to their natural environment. Housed under four Harbor themed sections, or “packages,” the curriculum is provided free of cost to teachers who want to implement it in their classrooms.

Attentive Energy’s commitment will support Oyster Research tanks for classrooms, Oyster Research stations in the Harbor, and the organization’s Annual Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Symposium held on Governors Island for local students. Attentive’s funding will also support professional development trainings for nearly 100 New York City teachers as well as 60+ classroom field visits to on-water community reef sites. 

“Our team is training the next generation of environmental stewards, and we’re glad that Attentive Energy shares our passion for restoring New York Harbor and leveraging this natural resource as an outdoor classroom.”

— Ann Fraioli, Director of Education at Billion Oyster Project

Using the New York Harbor as a living field-based classroom, Billion Oyster Project is engaging K-12 students across New York City in sustainability-focused education programs. Attentive Energy is proud to support these Education Programs that help students to become stewards of their local environment while learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in their own backyard. Future support may include workforce development for offshore wind programs, partnering with their team’s storm restoration efforts, and more. This partnership represents Attentive Energy’s larger mission of being community-focused, engaging with and directly supporting the communities in which we live and work.