New Jersey Students Build and Paddle Canoes
22 May
We were delighted to learn from New Jersey’s The Star Ledger that middle and high school students from four New Jersey schools launched and paddled canoes last weekend—canoes they built themselves.
Setting out in watercraft painted in their school colors and christened with names like “Chocolate Express” and “Wild Cat,” the students explored the Passaic River and celebrated the culmination of a long and rewarding learning experience. For many, it was their first time in a boat, much less a canoe. Writer Ralph R. Ortega covered the event for The Star Ledger, HERE
The new paddlers were all participants in an innovative program run by nonprofit Project USE (Urban Suburban Environment) in partnership with New Jersey schools. Project USE works with middle and high school students to study maritime history through hands-on projects that create natural opportunities to study math, science, carpentry, the properties of water and even the history of the river and region. According to Ortega, nearly 100 students have completed the program, which meets New Jersey curriculum requirements and introduces kids to outdoor recreation.
Read Ortega’s full article and see great pictures HERE. Learn more about Project USE on their web site, HERE.
