Another one of the projects from 2013 was carried out by a Primary 6 boy who was interested in wilderness survival and wanted to take up Kayaking, as there is a local club on Islay. He planned to carry out a kayaking expedition to Jura, the neighbouring Island, with his dad.
There were a lot of challenging skills to be learned for this project which involved careful planning. After he organised a meeting with a local coastguard he encountered his first problem; the currents between Islay and Jura are too strong to safely Kayak. He then altered his plans to make the trip to one of the small uninhabited islands off the coast of Islay. Attending Kayak club weekly with his father he built up his skills, and in school he used maps to prepare his route, learning about tides and prevailing winds. Using examples from his father’s work he made his own risk assessments that included detailed plans of what to do in an emergency. He finally took the trip to Texa island, camping overnight and successfully concluded his Endeavour. Motivated by his interest in the project, this learner was successfully able to apply new skills in a meaningful context, and although the project was not directly related to a future career, the skills he developed would be useful in any career path he might choose. He even recorded his endeavours in a blog: http://1kidskayakingadventer.blogspot.co.uk/
