 Remaining in Central Islip were the culinary arts program and its restaurant, the Epicurean Room; the Vocational Independence Program for students with learning disabilities; the NYCOM family medical center; the Technology-Based Learning Research Center; and the BOCES and Head Start programs.In 2005, NYIT participated in its first Solar Decathlon, an international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.NYIT was one of 19 colleges internationally and the only school in the New York metropolitan area.