education Archives - Small Boats Magazine

Teaching With Small Boats Association Wants YOU

The TWSBA Steering Committee has reached out to say that there are regional meetings coming up in 2018, and they’re looking for a few things. Get involved with this great organization by taking part. They say:

  • They need your input for planning.
  • They need you to present and share the work you’re doing.
  • And, they need you to show up.

New England—July 28 in Boston (It’s really soon!)
Contact: Kelly Crawford, [email protected]
Here’s a link to their flyer.

Mid-Atlantic—November 3 in Philadelphia
Contact: Gary Lowell, [email protected]

Great Lakes—In October
Contact: Bill Nimke, [email protected]

Northwest—Planning an event in the Fall
Contact: Robin Mills [email protected]

Bay Area—October 18, Berkeley
Contact: Inka Petersen, [email protected]

South—Still trying to see if there is “critical mass”
Contact: Maury Kaiser, [email protected]

Canada—November 3rd in Halifax
Contact: [email protected]

Canadian Winner of World’s Best Teacher Promotes Kayaking With $1M Prize

Maggie MacDonnell, a teacher in Salluit, Canada, who recently won a $1 million prize for her contributions to education, and, in particular, to the Inuit community there, is channeling that fortune into connecting the rest of the world with kayaking and other aspects of Inuit culture. Her hope is to turn eyes to the ailing communities of the Arctic Circle and to instill pride in the people back in Salluit. She’s also provided funds for her students and other community members to travel to Nova Scotia to learn how to kayak.

Her students praise her for the trust she’s fostered with them in her project-based educational approach. Many of them have a difficult home life and her aim is to have an impact on reversing the high suicide rates found in her school district.

Below are two videos, one is about the student kayaking program, and the other is a beautiful short film about her approach to teaching. Read more about the kayaking program that she’s launched on the Thames here.