Find Your Flow and Row, Row, Row!

The overarching theme of this fourth and last week is personal development. Students are working on a multimedia project about their experience in a foreign country, making cultural comparisons with their peers and host families, and reflecting on their adaptation to French culture and the growth they’ve experienced since they arrived in France. Afternoon activities this week are designed to further stimulate this reflection, and paddling on the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance was a perfect way to do just that.

Whether they had been on a canoe or kayak before, students hopped onto their vehicle of choice with excitement on Tuesday. Those who were in a single kayak had to figure out how to use their paddles to move forward in a relatively straight fashion, while those who were sharing a canoe with a peer had to communicate and collaborate to stay on course. After an hour on the water, students seemed a bit tired and slightly wet, but all displayed big smiles of satisfaction as they pulled their boats out of the water. During the debrief that followed, students shared that this activity had contributed to their personal development by requiring perseverance and patience to overcome the challenges, attention to avoid hitting other boats, and balance to avoid falling into the water. Teamwork and problem-solving skills were also needed and reinforced the friendships that students have built over the past three weeks.