教育研究 student combines environmental 和 ocean literacy outside the classroom

University of New Engl和 student 朱丽叶柔软清澈的, (教育研究 ’24), always knew she wanted to teach but was unsure about following the traditional route of spending most of her time in a classroom.

弗鲁特，她的专业也是 海洋科学, is in the midst of her senior educational studies internship, where she plans to teach students – on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean - about environmental 和 ocean literacy.

“我喜欢外联。, I love teaching about the environment, 但我想做点不一样的事,弗鲁特说。. “去年五月，我拿了 正规澳门赌场网络旅游课程 that goes to 爱尔兰, I absolutely fell in love with that country. I knew that I was meant to be there in some way.”

Fluty is currently teaching fourth graders every week in Biddeford while also connecting them with a group of students in 爱尔兰 through the Sea Synergy Marine Awareness, 研究 和 Activity Center in County Kerry, 爱尔兰, where Fluty hopes to travel to in March as part of the internship. Fluty is raising money to make the trip happen.

County Kerry is where a small uncrewed boat from Maine washed ashore in 2019, which originated from southern Maine in 2012. 那艘船，名叫 迷你缅因州她是非营利组织的成员 教育的文章 that works with classrooms across the country to build, 发射, track the vessels that are called “miniboats.”

“The travel of 迷你缅因州 is unique in that it took over three years to actually get to 爱尔兰, after looping around the Atlantic a couple of times,凯西·斯蒂米斯特说, executive director of 教育的文章 和 a 2006 UNE marine biology graduate.

Stymiest said the 迷你缅因州 stopped reporting in 2016, but was recovered in 2019 by a beachcomber in 爱尔兰 after washed up during a storm.

“(海滩拾荒者)联系了我们,, 经过一番调查, we verified that it was indeed the 迷你缅因州,斯蒂米斯特说. “Since then, schools in 爱尔兰 have been learning all about the voyage.”

Fluty has partnered with Stymiest for her internship program with a mission to re-发射 the 迷你缅因州. 从2024年初开始, they have been collaborating with teachers 和 students in both Maine 和 爱尔兰 to connect the communities.

“One of my favorite aspects of what Cassie 和 I are working on is connecting the kids individually as pen pals to connect cultures,弗鲁特说。. “当我第一次去爱尔兰旅行的时候, a big takeaway for me was realizing that education in 爱尔兰 is very different than ours. And now I get to work with my Maine students for us all to explore the connections between us.”

The partnership between Fluty 和 Stymiest came together almost serendipitously, as Stymiest had already been crafting a plan to restart 迷你缅因州, but had to put it on the shelf in 2023 for lack of funding.

“She had this project that mirrored my writeup of what I wanted to do for my internship,弗鲁特说。 after meeting with Cassie for the first time. “And we both laughed once we realized we were hoping to achieve the same. We also quickly bonded over our shared passion 和 experiences for education 和 marine science.”

“Juliet’s proposal was very similar to the mission of 教育的文章, which is to connect people around the world to the ocean 和 each other,斯蒂米斯特说. “So, we are now setting sail to achieve just that, the universe connecting us is all part of that adventure.”

The 迷你缅因州 will be outfitted with a new sail decorated by both classrooms as well as messages inside for whoever finds the boat next.

Click here to support Fluty’s internship.