Eagle View Elementary School (EVES) students
are hard at work building a boardwalk
for a nature trail.
"This has been a multifaceted project and years
in the making," said Sean Barfoot, EVES Project/
Place-Based Learning Teacher.
The project was started by a group of students
who showed an interest in building a trail behind
the school so they could create an outdoor
classroom. However, the land belongs to the
municipality of Port Hardy, along with a private
landowner.
"During the planning stages of the project,
previous Eagle View students learned about the
role of local government," said Barfoot, adding
they made a presentation to council to get permission
to build the walkway.
Once approved by council, the project was "extended
to our current student body through our
hands-on Project Based Learning Program, which
is centered on the provinces new Applied Skills
and Technologies curriculum," Barfoot explained.
Students were then challenged to work in groups
to draft plans to design a boardwalk. Through
this process, the students learned how to create
a technical drawing from multiple perspectives
(top view, side view, front view) based on a set of
criteria, which included elements of safety, functionality,
legibility and sustainability.
Once a design was selected, "students problem
solved and came up with a list of materials required,"
said Barfoot.
Through the generosity of the local businesscommunity, the school was supplied with the materials and safety equipment to start construction.
“Special thanks goes to Spike Top Cedar for donating the wood and Hardy Builders Supply and Home Hardware for donating hardware and safety equipment,” said Barfoot.
The wood shop at Port Hardy Secondary School also provided hand tools for the project. Currently, EVES students are working on the construction phase of the project.
“Students learned workplace safety,” said Barfoot. “They learned how to build a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional plan on paper.”
Learning has also been centered on teaching basic woodworking skills that include marking, sawing, drilling and screwing using hand tools.
“For me, one of the most exciting aspects of this project has been the inclusion of role models,” Barfoot said, adding the Grade 5/6/7 students who have shown expertise were provided with the leadership opportunity to teach the primary students how to measure, saw, drill and screw.
“This has not only been effective for teaching skills, but has also united our student community through fostering the development of positive relationships,” stated Barfoot.
The trail is constructed and the EVES students are planning on installing it during the first week of April.