Students in West Islip High School's Public Affairs 101 class address the issues of society's ills. Among this year's projects has been a toiletries drive to assist the area's homeless veterans. Pictured, left to right are seniors Trisha Quigley, Kristin Maverick, Beth Tully, Lauren Eriksen and Jennifer McNicholas, as they surveyed the more than 2,000 items collected and dontated to United Veterans.

the community at large, said school officials recently. The program, which is billed as an Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy, is designed to provide high school seniors with the basics in research, communication and decision making. The curriculum also encourages the students involved in the program to read and analyze articles in such weighty newspapers as The New York Times on local, state and international public policy issues. The course includes defining and identifying the components of public policy; communicating ideas with respect to their findings; and collecting data through research and interviews. The class averages 15 to 16 students each semester.

Sound a bit highbrow? The answer is a resounding no. Public Affairs 101 course coordinator Steve Lenowicz explained the program actually puts students in touch with the local community while giving the students the opportunity to receive college credit. Over the past few years, students have spearheaded a toiletry drive to assist homeless veterans, which included the collection of numerous items that cannot be purchased with food stamps.

They’ve also visited a pediatric hospice, sponsored a walk-a-thon and sold candles, and helped organize and administer an after school care program for elementary school children.

Lenowicz, who has been teaching for 30 years and is lead teacher in the school district’s Social Studies Department, said Public Affairs 101 is the same course that is taught at Syracuse University. In fact, Lenowicz said that in order to coordinate and teach the course, he too, had to do some studying.

"When I was asked to teach Public Affairs 101, I had to send my college transcripts to Syracuse and then went there to take a one week course," he explained. "Then I was able to come back and begin teaching the course to our students. The course also fulfils a government requirement that senior high school students receive at least one class in government."

It also helps to raise the level of social awareness in students.

"I found it stimulating and think it is an excellent course," said Lynn Cragg, a student who recently finished the course. "It forced me to look at different aspects of society that needed to be changed."

Cragg said that after taking the course she considered becoming a politician. "There are a number of different ways to deal with the problems of society," she added, "and Public Affairs 101 gave me the opportunity to look at that."

The course, Lenowicz explained, works in two ways. The first is that it is a skilled course wherein each student chooses a societal problem and explores it. "The student then is asked to produce a policy that can be implemented to solve that problem," he said.

"Secondly, it gives students the opportunity to implement a strategy by exploring the support and opposition (of that strategy). In that way, they get a real feel for government and how it works. We do (numerous) separate projects and are doing something for our community."

One of the projects being undertaken this semester is the collection of soda can pop-tops. "The project is designed to help send kids with kidney

disease to a summer camp," Lenowicz pointed out.

"So far, we’ve collected over 30 pounds of pop-tops and that’s just here at the high school. Our Office of School, Community and Media Relations is going to be putting the project out district wide. We do whatever we can to help the community."

The program does not just have Lenowicz’ praise.

West Islip School District Superintendent Tom Boedicker called Public Affairs 101 an "outstanding" program. "I really like it," Boedicker added.

"It involves our students in their community. And the more we can relate schoolwork to real life experiences, the better it is for our students and for our community. They (students) learn a great deal about public affairs."

Public Affairs 101 is a special program that allows the students to be part of a myriad of projects, many of which include outreach type programs.

Lenowicz said the class has yet to venture into the arena of county or even town politics, but added that the possibility of such move is not out of the

question. In the meantime, students have been involved in interviewing women who worked important jobs during WWII, which they are readying for the school library and have been working toward an alcohol free prom night.

Lenowicz, who has two of his own children enrolled at West Islip High School, said any community based organization interested in working with the students, or with a project in which the students could become involved, may contact him at the high school (893- 3200). "I have (and have had) some real good kids in the class," he added. "They work very hard."