Trip to NYC Stock Exchange

       What makes a great field trip?  A sunny day, a smile from the folks when you get there, and finding out things you never knew.  Add to that some fresh pizza served on china plates, real silverware, and polite conversation and there you have it. 

       This is how it panned out for Frederick Douglass Academy VI’s trip on Thursday, April 19th. Thanks to the Eva Foundation, FDA VI was afforded the opportunity of taking 10 students to the Stock Exchange to get a feel for how major finance is handled on a daily basis.

       We arrived on time, met Mr.Teitlebaum the director of education for the Stock Exchange. He graciously guided us through the security, up the elevator to a lush room from days gone by.  The students were treated to a well set table with china, freshly made pizza, stimulating conversation. We were then taken on a tour of the exchange floor and had the salient sections pointed out to us. Mr. Teitlebaum then fielded questions and guided us back through the paneled rooms, out the door. 

       The students at FDA VI were delighted with the tour and expressed a desire to go back again, and I don’t think it was the pizza!  This tour is remarkable on many levels. For students to see what the NYC work force looks like, how they spend their day, and to have an exchange with them is something that doesn’t happen every day.  From a teacher’s perspective, this program is instrumental in introducing the students of the outlying boroughs to the everyday work world of New York City. One never knows when a future captain of industry is created, perhaps one began on Thursday, April 19, 2007