Boerum Hill School Unveils New Science Lab—Complete With Critters!

Rugrats, meet the lab rats! Or, should we say, lab gerbils.

Students and teachers at PS 261 celebrated Science Day with local electeds this week, as the school officially unveiled its new state-of-the-art science lab funded by a financial gift from AT&T last year. And in addition to upgraded tables and chairs, a variety of live animals can now be observed and learned from in class too. 

Joining the guinea pigs, corn snake, bearded dragon, gerbils and hamsters present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Member Stephen Levin, and the school’s science instructor Carmelo Piazza—AKA Carmelo the Science Fellow—were also in attendance.

PS 261 Principal Zipporiah Mills stated that the lab would be "a magical environment for us to explore and grow."

Piazza also expressed his enthusiasm for the new space.

“With the generous donation from AT&T, we were able to provide almost 1,000 kids a week with true hands-on science," he said. "From experimenting with circuits, to learning about true animal adaptions, AT&T made the teaching of hands-on inquiry based science happen. For that, I am truly grateful."