Gossip
Making a difference
By Heather Herbeck, RiverAngels.comFebruary 05, 2010
The mission of the River Angels: to foster the growth and
development of
females in the sport of whitewater kayaking: whether you’re just getting
started or looking to build on your foundation. Together we can make
your dreams become a reality.
I recently learned about an educational opportunity, the Alzar School, who shares this same philosophy. So, I invited Kristin Bierle, the Executive Director, to share with us a little bit about their program and program goals.
I recently learned about an educational opportunity, the Alzar School, who shares this same philosophy. So, I invited Kristin Bierle, the Executive Director, to share with us a little bit about their program and program goals.
Thank you Heather for this opportunity!
The Alzar School is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is: Through the challenge of the outdoors, educate and facilitate the leadership development of students that are aware of their natural surroundings, the cultures they encounter, and the communities to which they belong. Our six foundations to whole person education are: leadership training, service learning, rigorous academics, outdoor adventure, cultural exchange, and environmental stewardship
Founded in 2004, the Alzar School offers educational, adventure-based expeditions for high achieving, highly motivated, high school students that emphasize leadership development. We are accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), and are developing into a year-round high school that will have a headquarters in Idaho.
At the Alzar School, we believe in the power of experiential education and find the outdoors is the logical venue for providing educationally rich experiences. Outdoor adventure activities such as kayaking take the group to unique destinations. Getting outside of your comfort zone through learning a new sport, in a new country teaches the students that they are capable of more than they ever thought and highlights areas where they have room for personal growth.
One of the programs we are most proud of at the Alzar School is the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative. This program provides scholarships for one or two high school aged females to join our international programs and learn how to kayak.
We do this because, like the River Angels, we are convinced kayaking is a fantastic way to build self-confidence and understand personal limitations. We also feel that the number of female paddlers in a lot of the countries we visit is low, and we like to show these girls that they are just as capable learning to kayak as the boys.
When we were in Mexico in the winter of '09 we had two girls, from the town of Jalcomulco who learned to roll. Despite living in the whitewater capital of Mexico, Mayan (one of our scholarship students) thinks she is the first female from the town to learn how to roll. In Chile this year, our two scholarship students left the trip knowing how to kayak, how to camp in the woods for three weeks, and motivated to perfect their English. The students from the states learned about the Chilean culture, and how friendship and laughter is universal.
We hope to expand the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative as we grow, to fund females from international locations to join our full high school year program.
If you would like more information about the Alzar School or the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative check out our website at www.AlzarSchool.com or email info@alzarschool.com
See you on the river!
Kristin Bierle
The Alzar School is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is: Through the challenge of the outdoors, educate and facilitate the leadership development of students that are aware of their natural surroundings, the cultures they encounter, and the communities to which they belong. Our six foundations to whole person education are: leadership training, service learning, rigorous academics, outdoor adventure, cultural exchange, and environmental stewardship
Founded in 2004, the Alzar School offers educational, adventure-based expeditions for high achieving, highly motivated, high school students that emphasize leadership development. We are accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), and are developing into a year-round high school that will have a headquarters in Idaho.
At the Alzar School, we believe in the power of experiential education and find the outdoors is the logical venue for providing educationally rich experiences. Outdoor adventure activities such as kayaking take the group to unique destinations. Getting outside of your comfort zone through learning a new sport, in a new country teaches the students that they are capable of more than they ever thought and highlights areas where they have room for personal growth.
One of the programs we are most proud of at the Alzar School is the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative. This program provides scholarships for one or two high school aged females to join our international programs and learn how to kayak.
We do this because, like the River Angels, we are convinced kayaking is a fantastic way to build self-confidence and understand personal limitations. We also feel that the number of female paddlers in a lot of the countries we visit is low, and we like to show these girls that they are just as capable learning to kayak as the boys.
When we were in Mexico in the winter of '09 we had two girls, from the town of Jalcomulco who learned to roll. Despite living in the whitewater capital of Mexico, Mayan (one of our scholarship students) thinks she is the first female from the town to learn how to roll. In Chile this year, our two scholarship students left the trip knowing how to kayak, how to camp in the woods for three weeks, and motivated to perfect their English. The students from the states learned about the Chilean culture, and how friendship and laughter is universal.
We hope to expand the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative as we grow, to fund females from international locations to join our full high school year program.
If you would like more information about the Alzar School or the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative check out our website at www.AlzarSchool.com or email info@alzarschool.com
See you on the river!
Kristin Bierle