Bronx Excellence 1 Middle School is taking center stage on PBS’s "Cyberchase"! 

The school’s NYBG Nature Club is featured in a special "Cyberchase for Real" segment released as part of Earth Month 2026. 

New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) staff, Bronx Excellence 1 Middle scholars, and science teacher Patrick Maynard, NYBG Nature Club moderator, in the Bronx Excellence 1 community garden with PBS "Cyberchase for Real" star “Kimmie.”  

The segment appears in the Cyberchase episode “Leave the Leaves,” following scholars on an exciting field trip to the New York Botanical Garden. There, scholars explore plant habitats firsthand and discover how native plants use vibrant colors to attract pollinators and support local ecosystems. 

NYBG staff help students plant sedges in the Bronx Excellence 1 community garden. 

Even more inspiring, the episode highlights a powerful six‑month collaboration between NYBG staff, Bronx Excellence 1 scholars, and science teacher Patrick Maynard, NYBG Nature Club moderator. Together they transformed the school’s neighborhood green space in Parkchester by clearing land and planting seedlings to create a thriving climate-smart garden habitat from the ground up. 

A scholar in the Bronx 1 Excellence Middle NYBG Nature Club reflects on her involvement in the community garden project for the “Cyberchase for Real" segment in episode “Leave the Leaves.” 

Watch scholars share how teamwork, hands‑on learning, and planting native species can make a real difference for wildlife, their community, and a greener New York City in the "Cyberchase for Real" segment: 

Visit our booth in Fordham Heights (E 188th Street: Grand Concourse to Valentine Avenue) during the NYC Open Streets Car-Free Earth Day event on Saturday, April 25th from 10-4pm! 

Learn more about co-curricular activities at Excellence Community Schools.