ERIE BAYFRONT STUDENTS LAUNCH THEIR CANOES!
Erie School District students enrolled in the Alternative Education Program at the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies (BCMS), will be launching four student- built wooden canoes completed at BCMS this school year. The launch is a significant success for these students and the realization of months of hard work.
The hands-on boatbuilding projects at BCMS provide a real world, practical application of subjects learned in the classroom with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, (STEM) skills. The students are also learning about problem solving, conflict resolution, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork, as they gain the self-confidence to set ambitious goals and develop the skills necessary to achieve them.
Since finishing the four brightly colored canoes in December, the students have worked with the Maritime Educators at BCMS on various projects from restoration of an antique iceboat to working with the crew of the U.S. Brig Niagara to help prepare the ship for the upcoming sailing season. Currently students are building a San Francisco Pelican, a sailboat designed to sail in the cold, rough, and windy waters of San Francisco Bay, similar to spring and fall sailing conditions in Erie.
About the Bayfront Alternative Education Program: BCMS and Sarah Reed Children’s Center have partnered to create an alternative education program to provide education services for the Erie School District. The program includes a web-based academic curriculum as well as behavioral, emotional, and social skills development. BCMS’ hands-on, project-based maritime classes inject into the school day an enthusiasm for learning, broaden students’ horizons, build self-confidence, and support the academic and social lessons learned in the classroom.
Erie High School Students with their handmade canoes.