Schoharie students tell story of tragedy with technology

By: Jessica Layton           

WNYT

Updated at: 02/20/2012 11:38 PM

SCHOHARIE - While students in the Schoharie School District enjoy winter break this week, they'll be working to "get out the vote."

The district is among 12 finalists in a national competition sponsored by Samsung. The grand prize winner receives $100,000 in new technology for its school.

To vote for Schoharie Central School, click here: https://pages.samsung.com/us/sft/video/index.jsp?auth=1

"This will mean day and night difference for our students, trying to be competitive," said English teacher Amie Hausmann.

The district is desperate for new computer equipment and a morale boost after Tropical Storm Irene plowed into the village.

Hausmann lost her home during Irene in August 2011. She understood the loss so many of her students were going through. Six months later, the village is recovering. And the disaster has proved to be a teaching moment in her classroom every day since.

So when she came across the Samsung Project focusing on science, technology, engineering and math, she thought it would be a great way get in the running for some new computers - and to help the healing process along.

The project has been therapeutic. The students collected and analyzed water and soil samples from the areas in their village hardest hit by the flooding. Math students calculated Ph levels in the samples. English students wrote a script for the findings and set it to video.

The school is now competing with 11 other schools around the country for the top prize. Voting continues through March 12.