Bath Middle School student Addie Hinds speaks recently about a week-long canoe trip. Contributed photo
Bath Middle School and Woolwich Central School students and faculty were joined by members of Chewonki and the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust to reflect Dec. 4 on the annual FLOW (Fundamental Learning On Water) week-long canoe trip.
During the trip, students set their own campsites and cook their own food under the supervision of teachers and Chewonki guides, who supply gear, boats and course areas.
Students work on reflections and personal narratives about the journey and share them during read-aloud sessions in the morning and evening. This year, rain or shine, they also gathered under the guidance of art teachers Laura Devin of Woolwich Central School and Jackie Johnson of Bath Middle School to learn the practice of plein air painting. The art they created will be on display in the Patten Free Library until the end of December.
Students who do not participate in the canoe trip can instead choose to join KELT for daily lessons in the stewardship of Maine’s natural sites. Activities might include clearing public trails or building footbridges.
“We go to this trip year after year, with a little bit of anxiety of what it’s all about,” said Leann Fisher, social studies teacher at Woolwich Center School, who has participated in six FLOW expeditions, in a news release. “But once we get there, it’s an experience that the kids have together. Building new relationships, new understanding about people, trying new things, exploring new places, facing fears, and having fun.”
“The highlight of my FLOW trip was getting to know people,” said student Addie Hinds. “From my peers, to my educators, to my staff leader, these people have grown to be huge people in my life, and I’m grateful that FLOW gave me the opportunity to get to know them.”
The program launched in 2014 and is supported by The Chewonki Foundation, Bath Savings Institution, First Federal Savings and the George Davenport Trust.
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