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UPDATED 6/1/10 |
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60 Kids Launch After-School Project Boats at Phalen  Pictured
at right are some of the 60 proud St. Paul after-school-program
boatbuilders who participated in a mass launching at the beach at Lake Phalen on
June 1, 2010. Did they have fun? Take a look at some short
video clips from the launching below. |
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Exploring a Hidden Urban Lake 
On a mid-October day in Minnesota, you wouldn't typically expect to wear a t-shirt. Nor would you expect to find a tranquil escape in the middle of the Twin Cities during rush hour. Nor would you be able to spend the morning gliding around in a classic wooden boat for academic credit. But that's exactly what students from Focus Beyond ALC did.
After weeks of measuring, cutting, planing, and hammering, Pickerel Lake in St. Paul was a little slice of unexpected quiet for Matt, Jessica, Latarius, Matt #2, Tommy, and several other students. They tried their hand rowing three quite different hull shapes through the glassy water.
"It was really fun because I've never rowed a boat before. I rowed three different boats....You get the feel for different types of boats and how they handle." -Matt K, 17 "It was very worthwhile. I've never been in a boat before... It was challenging...I rowed three different boats but the pram was my favorite because it gave me a chance to work on my rowing skills... it was easy to handle." Jessica M, 17 "Not many of (the students) get a chance to look at the wilderness; they're just stuck in the city." -Matt K
Urban Boatbuilders hopes to increase its on-the-water programming for the reasons that these students gave. A riverfront location would facilitate this immensely...travel and transport of boats could be circumvented, and we could put more energy into environmental education. We'll keep you posted on the development of this vision. |
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Mississippi Passage One of the highlights of our on-the-water programming is the annual Mississippi Passage -- an 80-mile paddling trip on the Mississippi for apprentices, staff, and adult volunteers. In the shop, our apprentices acquire the skills of persistence, craftsmanship, teamwork, and self-confidence. The Mississippi Passage completes their experience through a grueling, but fun physical challenge during which they master the handling and use the boats that they've built.
Photo album from the 2006
Mississippi Passage
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Interactive apprentice-made map of waypoints and adventures from the 2007 Mississppi Passage