Dater Montessori Students Build Their Own Canoe

Cincinnati Public Schools

Dater Montessori School students have taken hands-on learning to the next level.

Fifth- and sixth-graders recently crafted their very own, handmade canoe with guidance from the Camping & Education Foundation. Thanks to teamwork and their own bare hands, the students built the boat—completing every task from making the frame to coating the oars—using only the raw materials provided to them.

Of course, it wasn’t enough just to build the canoe. The students put their workmanship to the test during a trip to Otto Armleder Park. After paddling around the Little Miami River, passengers remained dry and smiling. It’s fair to say that their handiwork held up.