We get a lot of great feedback from teachers and students. Here is a letter from a teacher whose class came out with us in May.
May 22, 2015
Dear Rob,
Thank you again for welcoming my 8th grade class onto your boat, and showing them some of the work you do on the Tioga. The experience was amazing for them, and for me, too. It was wonderful to see groups of students talking together, who normally wouldn’t go beyond “hi” in a conversation. Shy students, disinterested students, and nerdy, motivated students were all interacting with each other, passing marine animals and sharing questions and ideas. It was terrific. I am still hearing about the sea urchins and starfish, and of course the Tioga. I hope that some of my students will be able to find their way to a job on the water, either this summer or in high school. By the way, thank you also for sharing information about jobs with them. At the end of 8th grade they have lots to be anxious about – leaving middle school, starting high school, and starting to look for work. Seeing how a job can actually be interesting and fun was a big eye opener for them.
I am enclosing the letters they wrote to you the day after our trip. You can tell from their enthusiasm (well, at least in some of the letters – they are 8th graders after all) how much of an impression the experience made. We are all very grateful to you, to your staff, to the Zephyr Education Foundation, Inc., and to the Richard Lounsbery Foundation for organizing and sponsoring this program. I promise you the trip on the ‘Tioga’ is something my students will remember for the rest of their lives.
Thank you again, and good luck on your next adventures. I hope to be able to return next year with a new class for another trip.
Sincerely,