Maritime Theme Education Park

The self-discovery program would represent a 19^th century seaport with associated maritime activities. This was the age of mechanical inventions that includes steam and electrical power. This was also the age of self-educated achievers. Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Edison, to name a few, never went to school, but their ideas changed the way we live.

Students would duplicate the discovery and making of these inventions, while learning the history behind them. Hands-on activities inspires teens. These projects would introduce young people to various blue-collar professions, for the purpose of helping them discover what their true talent and interest are. Once discovered, they would complete their education as an apprentice, at a trade school or technical college.

Students will learn how-to-learn, the art of self-education. This is achieved through the desire to be an achiever, which is a self-motivating power. This desire inspires a love-to-learn that continues for a lifetime. Today's students learn how to be taught. They are forever dependent on others for instructions on how to do things. Away from the education system, their desire to learn is turned off.

To finance the program, the theme park would attract tourist and the school would offer industrial leadership training.

1. Vocational training would combine craft skills with team intelligence and team decision making. (An education style that supports new trends)
2. Training would take place in a maritime environment where tourist would mingle or observe training activities. Aboard a windjammer tourist would mingle. At a blacksmith shop tourist would observe. (A highly visible training environment is highly motivating)
3. The program would provide industrial organizations leadership training that would focus on responsibility and decision making on the front line. (New trends in industrial organizations)

• The organization methods of Civil War rein-actors could be the theme park format. Mystic Seaport Museum and the Living Classroom Foundation could also be used as examples.
• To my knowledge, combining the above three elements into an education program has never been done, but I do not see why in cannot be done.

For details of the above elements, start at the Motivation Tool Chest home page.

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