Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
​Exploring the South Manitou Island Area             

Colleen & Tom Hurst
loonling.lc@gmail.com
​                                                                    Spring 2023           
Exploring South Manitou Island Area:
Family Education in the Great Outdoors
South Manitou Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
One credit class this year (no additional Communication class requirement)                 
 ***CLASS WILL BE IN THE NATURE CATEGORY DURING PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION***

Trip Dates:  July 13-16
Pre trip meeting dates:  Thursday January 26, 6:00 PM Other dates and location TBD - these meetings are required
If this date does not work let us know and we make arrangements to connect before February 1st.

Trip Highlights:
Three nights camping on South Manitou Island, a wilderness area of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. 
Boat trip across the Manitou Passage
Climb a historic lighthouse
Explore deep cedar groves, graveyards. 
Visit historic island farms and one room schoolhouse.
Learn about geology, water quality, great lakes history, sailing ships, wilderness ecology, careers in the outdoors, forestry, agriculture, navigation, wilderness travel and more.

Details:
Leaders: Colleen and Tom Hurst

• Ages 7 and up (must be a good walker)
• Parent required to participate, full family is encouraged.
• Non partnership students $425.00
• Partnership students $100.00 fee to offset food, and ferry.
• Parents cost $300.00.  
• Minimum 20 student participants,  Maximum 38 Including parents
• All food and cooking gear provided.  Some camping equiptment available for loan.
• Each participant needs good hiking shoes, a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, personal clothing, raincoat, hats etc.
• Three nights camping on South Manitou island.
• All vessels are US Coast Guard approved and fully insured for this type of program.

Your leaders:  Tom and Colleen have many years experience leading outdoor trips for youth and adults.  Recent programs include local nature classes, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Isle Royale adventures, the Adirondacks and New River Gorge Recreation Area.  A program of Loonling Learning.

Itinerary:

• July 13: Meet at Ferry Dock in Leland Michigan by 12:30 PM  Ferry departs at 1:50 PM for South Manitou Island.
•  Travel to South Manitou, set up camp, Dinner, Evening programs on the beach.
• July 14, 15 : Island activities are weather flexible.   Hikes, lighthouses, shipwrecks, cemeteries, farms, school, beaches, cedar groves.
• July 16: Breakfast in camp,  Strike camp and pack for return voyage.  Explore Manitou village, Depart for Leland at 11:30 AM.  

South Manitou Island  http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/southmanitouisland.htm
Syllabus

*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
 
Teacher of Record: Tom Hurst