Garden City High School Senior K.C. Alvey and a visiting student form Singapore. Garden City High School welcomed 30 visitors from Singapore for three days in March-26 science research students, three educators, and the principal of Anderson Secondary School-in the initial phase of an ongoing science research exchange program arranged by Science Curriculum Coordinator Gail Bennington and Assistant Principal Adele Pecora-Dusanenko

"The purpose of the trip was to provide Garden City and Singapore students with an opportunity to meet and discuss current research topics," Mrs. Bennington said. "Our goal is to encourage collaboration on future projects."

The visitors had a full itinerary, including visits to the Cradle of Aviation, the American Museum of Natural History, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Dolan DNA Learning Center. They also attended classes at the High School, observed presentations by Garden City science research students, and played basketball in gym class. Their visit concluded with a lecture at Hofstra University by a NASA astronaut.

Visitors from Singapore at Garden City High School with Assistant Principal Adele Pecora-Dusanenko (second row) and Science Curriculum Coordinator Gail Bennington and Science Research Teacher Steve Gordon (back row). Several Garden City families graciously opened their homes to the visitors. One family taught their students the art of making snowballs, while others served their guests a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. "Thank you for arranging what proved to be a most worthwhile experience for us all," one member of a host family said. "Cultural exchange between students, perhaps the most open-minded members of our society, allows cultural understanding, awareness, and tolerance to flourish. It promotes appreciation for diversity and for the value that each culture brings to our world."

Ongoing communication between the Garden City High School Research Program and its new sister school is planned. The Dolan DNA Learning Center, which has recently constructed a center in Singapore, has suggested that the two high schools utilize the Singapore and Cold Spring Harbor facilities to develop parallel student projects, possibly leading to an international competition.