PORT TOWNSEND — Students participating in Port Townsend schools’ Maritime Discovery Initiative will show off at tonight’s open house what they’ve learned during the program’s inaugural year.
“The success during our first year has been off the charts,” said teacher Kelley Watson, who is expanding the number of classes from one to three for the next school year.
“Along with our own success, we are hoping we can get other people in the community to come in and share their knowledge.”
A year ago, the Port Townsend School District began implementing the place-based learning program, which is designed to incorporate Port Townsend’s maritime heritage into all levels of public education.
The open house celebrating the first anniversary takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the shop classroom at Port Townsend High School, 1500 Van Ness St.
The open house will include tours, demonstrations and project show-and-tell talks, with students showing the skills learned during class.
These are substantial, according to sophomore Alex Fiske, 16, who has grown up around boats.
“I’ve relearned a lot of skills that I’ve had for years, but it’s great to see other people get excited about boats,” she said.
“We are gaining experience, and there is no substitute for that since we can learn skills that we can take right down to the boatyard and get jobs.”
“We are getting real hands-on experience,” said her sister, senior Alana Fiske, 18.
“We are seeing how boating can become a career. It’s not just a hobby.”
Watson said the program’s success is the result of volunteer labor contributed by skilled woodworkers and those in the maritime trades.
They range from people who talk on a single subject to those who volunteer several times a week.
This changes the quality of education for the 18 students, Watson said.
“When it is just myself or my aide, the student-teacher ratio is one or two to 18,” she said.
“With the volunteers, it can be a one-to-four teacher ratio.
“What a difference that makes in a shop.”
The maritime initiative began as a partnership between the school district and the Northwest Maritime Center.
It has recruited other partners along the way.
One is Sound Experience, which operates the tall ship Adventuress.
“We want folks to know what we are doing,” said Alana Fiske about the open house.
“We want to get people to come in and show us their skills. There is an incredible amount of talented woodworkers in town.
“If they know we’re here, it might spark some interest in joining the program.”
For more information or to volunteer, contact kwatson@ptschools.org.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
