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Buffalo's Andrew Franz Joins NY Milken Educators

 

 

Back in Andrew Franz's classroom, a student introduces visitors to the class's pet frog, "Le Petit Fromage" (the Little Cheese). The reptile's name is a play on Franz's nickname: students call him "Le Grand Fromage" (the Big Cheese).

Franz goes to great lengths to connect students with nature. He leads an annual fishing excursion on Lake Erie, as well as a visit to the Tift Nature Preserve, where students encounter water fowl, deer and insects while learning about the history of Buffalo’s waterfront. He has supervised field trips to Delaware Park and the Penn Dixie Fossil Dig, Sky High Adventures Ropes Course, Buffalo Zoo and Buffalo History Museum. Under Franz, students have learned about harvesting mushrooms and aquatic life in Cazenovia Park, attended the Western New York Science Fair and Tech Savvy, toured the University of Buffalo, and participated in the Minecraft Build Challenge at the Microsoft Store.