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February 8, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Arts Arts Portal Lead

Sultana Downrigging Artist’s Win Top IBMA Awards

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Two artists scheduled to perform at the Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging Weekend Festival (October 29-31) received top awards at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) 32nd annual awards show, held September 30th at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, a member of the band Mile Twelve, received the Fiddle Player of the Year award, while Danny Paisley was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year. Both Mile Twelve and Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass will play multiple sets on the Chestertown waterfront Saturday, October 30thas part of Sultana’s Downrigging Festival.

Mile Twelve

Keith-Hynes and Paisley are not the only Downrigging artists to win recent acclaim. Solo guitarist, Yasmin Williams, was recently profiled by the New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), and the Washington Post who lauded her as a “new kind of guitar hero.” Visit the article here.

Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass 

“We are grateful to our volunteer music directors, RousbyQuesenbury and Andrew Ferguson, for putting such an outstanding lineup together for this year’s festival,” said Brooke Logan Packard, Chair of the Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging Committee. Other nationally acclaimed artists scheduled to perform at Sultana’s Downrigging Festival include Colebrook Road, Country Current, Wicked Sycamore, Jackob’s Ferry Stranglers, and Tom Mindte. A full schedule and ticket information can be found at the festival’s website, www.downrigging.org.

Sultana to Sail Again for 20th Anniversary Season

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Richards works with crew members aloft in the Schooner SULTANA’s rigging.

After being laid up for 19 months because of the Covid-19 crisis, the Sultana Education Foundation’s flagship schooner SULTANA is preparing for a triumphant return to the Chesapeake Bay for her 20th anniversary season. “Operating a school-ship like SULTANA was simply impossible in 2020,” said SEF President Drew McMullen, “but with the Covid situation improving, vaccines available for our crew, and schools reaching out to sail this fall, the time has come to get SULTANA back out on the water.”

Getting the 1768 reproduction SULTANA sailing again will take the better part of this coming summer. SULTANA’s volunteer corps will start the process in early June by removing the long term protective cover that has been on the schooner since last summer. The schooner’s crew will arrive in Chestertown a few weeks later and immediately depart for the Georgetown Yacht Basin where SULTANA will be hauled, cleaned and repainted. The schooner will return to Chestertown by August where the schooner’s crew and volunteer corps will re-rig the vessel and train in preparation for resuming under-sail operations by the second half of August.

“This will be the first time we have rigged SULTANA during the summer,” said Sultana Vice President Chris Cerino. “It’s a complex and amazing process and we are going to make a big effort to make it accessible to the public.”

New Captain no stranger to SULTANA

Newly appointed Captain Forrest Richards will oversee the process of rerigging SULTANA. A long-time resident of Chestertown, Richards is no stranger to the Sultana Education Foundation, where he previously worked as both crew and Mate on SULTANA, as well as a member of the 12-person expedition that reenacted Captain John Smith’s 121-day, 2,100-mile 1608 Chesapeake expedition in 2007.

“I’m excited to be back on Sultana,” said Richards, “and honored to be captaining her 20th anniversary sailing season.”

Most of SULTANA’s crew has been hired for the 2021 season, but two available deckhand positions remain. Interested candidates should visit the foundation’s website, www.sultanaeducation.org, for details.

Downrigging Returns to Celebrate Anniversary

SULTANA’S 2021 sailing season will be the 20th since the vessel’s launch on March 24, 2001. The anniversary celebration of SULTANA’s launch originally planned for March will now take place as part of the Foundation’s annual Downrigging Weekend, scheduled for October 29-31 in Chestertown. The Foundation recently received preliminary approval from the Town of Chestertown to host this event and details for the three day Tall-Ship and bluegrass festival will be announced in June.

Sultana Continues Free Speaker Series for the Public

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Clarence Gilmer

Now through May, the Sultana Education Foundation will host its public speaker program, Sultana Sessions, a free livestream series featuring a range of topics in history, ecology and the humanities of the Chesapeake Bay Region. This Thursday at 7pm EST, SEF will host special guests Doncella Wilson and Clarence Gilmer to discuss ‘Diversity In The Outdoors’, a hot topic in today’s news. Wilson and Gilmer will join Sultana’s Lawrence Wetland Preserve Manager and Program Instructor, John Mann, to discuss their experiences in the outdoors and potential barriers that may be preventing more African American people from enjoying outdoor experiences on the Eastern Shore. They will also talk strategies for organizations, similar to Sultana, as they aim to increase diversity both amongst their staff and their program participants.

“The beauty of the livestream format is that viewers can interact with us in real time,” said Mann. “The technology allows viewers to ask questions and share personal experiences with our speakers, giving them interactions our community craves right now. With this topic gaining public attraction in recent years, we’re hoping to see a diverse audience, with various ideas and perspectives.”

Doncella Wilson

Doncella Wilson is a Councilwoman in Denton, MD, and a native to the Eastern Shore. She is the cofounder of Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc., located in Kent County, MD, and aims to foster positive outdoor experiences for African American youth. Clarence Gilmer is an outdoor educator and former teacher at Echo Hill Outdoor School, specializing in primitive and survival skills. Clarence appeared 3 times in the Discovery Channel’s hit series, Naked And Afraid.

The episode will stream live on Thursday, March 18 at 7PM via https://www.facebook.com/SultanaEducation/live/. Please note, a Facebook account is NOT required to use join the speaker series. To see a full schedule of episodes and more information, please visit https://sultanaeducation.org/public-programs/.

The Return of Sultana Education Foundation’s Virtual Toddler Time

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Students at a local daycare work on crafts in real time with SEF staff members, and complete writing and art activity worksheets sent out in the Toddler Time materials packet.

The Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) is pleased to announce the return of its FREE early childhood education program, Virtual Toddler Time, taking place now through April. The program will be offered virtually via ZOOM and broken into four separate sessions. Children and their guardians will explore the natural world through stories, songs, games, crafts, and interactions with wildlife – all led by SEF’s talented staff. Each session will include three separate lessons held each Friday morning at 10:30AM. Program supplies will be available for pick-up the Wednesday prior to each session at SEF’s Holt Center, or dropped off within a 20-mile radius of the Holt Center in downtown Chestertown, MD.

The program, now in its 4th year, was traditionally held in-person at SEF’s Holt Center. Staff members piloted the virtual version this past summer providing parents and guardians struggling to find nature-based, interactive and fun activities during the pandemic. A local teacher and parent was incredibly impressed with the effort that went into planning and executing each program, expressing gratitude for the low costs (now offered for free) saying, “I thought this was extremely affordable for all the materials and time that went into this program…(the staff) did a wonderful job of managing the technology and interacting with the kids. I loved all the activities that occurred during the sessions and also the ones for kids to do on their own. ”

This season, Virtual Toddler Time has gotten off to an incredible start. Within three days of opening registration Session One was full, with 100 participants signed up, throwing the program staff into a frenzy prepping, packaging and delivering materials to students.

Registration for Session Two will open on January 27th, for Session Three on Feb 17th, and for Session Four on March 3rd. To see SEF’s Virtual Toddler Time complete 2021 schedule, for more information, or to register for the next session visit https://sultanaeducation.org/public-programs/. Those looking for additional early childhood activities and resources can visit Sultana’s Virtual Classroom website at https://sultanaclassroom.org/early-childhood-education/.

What’s Up With Sultana? A Virtual Event

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The Sultana Education Foundation is pleased to be hosting “What’s Up With Sultana,” a Virtual Event, December 3, 2020 at 7:00 PM. The purpose of the event is to share with the community, supporters, members, and friends, all of the work the organization has been doing since Covid-19 limitations changed the landscape of experiential education.

The 30-minute presentation is free to the public and will cover the many facets of the Foundation’s projects including: Virtual Classroom programming and the development of the Lawrence Wetland Preserve. Videos will be combined with live moments from Foundation President Drew McMullen and Vice President Chris Cerino.

“We want to show our supporters all of the exciting things the organization has been up to,” said McMullen, “Covid has certainly presented challenges, but we’ve been able to pivot and create meaningful programming that will be used even after the pandemic is history.”

The final moments of the presentation will also include an opportunity for live questions and answers from the public.

To learn more about the Virtual Event, visit www.sultanaeducation.org, or bookmark the event’s livestream page at: https://givebutter.com/youzOv.

The Sultana Education Foundation’s mission is to provide transformative educational experiences in which students investigate the natural and human history of the Chesapeake Bay while exploring solutions for a more sustainable ecosystem. This new programming allows them to do just that from the comfort of their own home.

Sultana Announces Revised Public Paddles Schedule

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As the state of Maryland enters Phase 2 of its COVID-19 recovery plan and as cases trend downward state-wide, the Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) is announcing a revised schedule of kayak trips to be enjoyed by the general public this summer on some of Kent County’s most scenic waterways.  These programs, known as Public Paddles, feature guided tours of remote tributaries that are lightly developed and contain pristine wetlands full of plant and animal life.  Each Public Paddle follows a specific theme highlighting habitats and organisms found at that particular launch site.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide in-person, water-based programming to the general public this summer,” said SEF’s Director of Paddling Programs, Brad Hirsh.  “We’ve scheduled these paddles on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to avoid crowds, and we’ve also limited the number of participants to eight paddlers to make social distancing as easy as possible.  Otherwise, once we’re on the water, these trips will be just like any other Public Paddles the Foundation has conducted in previous years.”

Between July 7th and August 20th, SEF is conducting fourteen separate paddles that are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Participants will have an opportunity to visit a blue heron rookery on the upper Sassafras River, observe bald eagle nests at Turner’s Creek, explore the salt marshes of Eastern Neck Island, investigate remnants of Native American communities at Still Pond Creek, view the blooming American lotus flowers of the lower Sassafras, and navigate the headwaters of the mighty Chester River.  Each paddle takes place from 9:00 – 11:30 am.  Participants are encouraged to bring their own lifejackets, and SEF provides the kayaks, paddles, and guides.  The cost is $30 per person, with a minimum age requirement of twelve years old.

“We’re extremely excited to get people back on the water to explore some of the special places that make this area so unique,” stated SEF’s Vice President Chris Cerino.  “After being cooped up inside for much of the spring, these paddles are a welcome addition to SEF’s summer itinerary!”

To see the complete schedule of 2020 Summer Public Paddles, or to register for a trip, visit www.sultanaeducation.org.  

Sultana Offers Launches Virtual Summer Programming

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The Sultana Education Foundation is pleased to announce that it has developed alternate camp options to keep young children engaged and active all summer long, replacing live, in-person programming.
SEF is offering two programs for children ages 3-7, featuring several themes and led by our professional staff. Participation is limited to 15 children per session and programs will run weekly from July 13 through August 28. Registration is available online at https://sultanaeducation.org/summer-programs/.

The programs include a program for Toddlers as well as a program for slightly older children. Virtual Toddler Time lets children explore the natural world through stories, songs, games, crafts, and other hands-on activities. Each session is one week-long with online Zoom meetings held M, W, F from 10:30-11:00 AM. Before camp, participants will receive a package in the mail filled with crafts and activities to last the session. The program price is set at $15/child/session.

Online Discovery Camp is filled with exciting experiences introducing children to the Chesapeake Bay. Before camp, participants receive a Discovery Box in the mail filled with craft supplies and materials designed to encourage exploration. Sessions will be 45 minutes in the morning (9:00 AM – 9:45 AM) and afternoon (4:00 PM – 4:45 PM) via Zoom in which participants read stories, play games, make crafts, and meet critters from the Holt Center’s Wet Lab. This program will run $50/child/session.

“Virtual Toddler Time and Online Discovery Camp will provide children with exciting opportunities to learn about the natural world in a way that is fun and engaging,” stated SEF’s Director of Science, Beth Lenker. “While the face to face interactions will take place online, sending materials directly to students in the mail prior to the start of each session makes the instruction as interactive as possible. We look forward to pioneering this new form of summer programming with our campers!”

The Sultana Education Foundation’s mission is to provide transformative educational experiences in which students investigate the natural and human history of the Chesapeake Bay while exploring solutions to create a more sustainable ecosystem.

 

Sultana’s Virtual Classroom LIVE! Programs Reach 900+ Students

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On March 1, 2020, the Sultana Education Foundation’s (SEF) spring programming season was fully booked with scheduled field experiences for students on the Chesapeake Bay. “This was going to be one of the Foundation’s busiest spring seasons in our history, with thousands of students lined up to explore the Bay and its tidal tributaries aboard the schooner Sultana, paddling on canoes or kayaks, and visiting the Holt Education Center in Chestertown,” said SEF’s Vice President, Chris Cerino. “Unfortunately, that all changed over the course of two weeks in mid-March due to the advent of the COVID-19 health crisis in Maryland.”

The spread of coronavirus led to school closures nationwide and a sudden and radical shift to distance learning. This also led to the cancellation of all SEF’s spring field programs. In response to this unprecedented situation, SEF staff members quickly pivoted to create an entirely new web site where a plethora of online resources for classroom teachers were posted. This included over 60 videos with topics ranging from the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay to the history of the Schooner SULTANA, and the rich culture of Native Americans in the region. The resulting web site, www.sultanaclassroom.org, now offers teachers with unprecedented access to quality, classroom-ready instructional materials that will be available for years to come.

Beth Lenker reads a book about turtles to a class before diving into a full lesson involving live critters, manipulatives, crafts and a written activity.

In addition to the site, SEF launched an online field trip initiative known as “Virtual Classroom, LIVE!”, proving to be exceedingly popular with students and teachers alike. SEF’s talented teaching staff made virtual lessons come to life using historic artifacts, primary documents, and even live critters from the Education Center’s Wet Lab. In May and early June, SEF conducted over 50 live sessions, reaching approximately 1,000 students from throughout Maryland and Delaware.

For teachers coping with the new reality of teaching their students entirely over the internet, SEF’s live programs were a welcome addition to their repertoire. “Sultana took a very difficult situation for my students and made it a positive experience that they will never forget,” stated Justin Crew, 4th grade teacher at Kennard Elementary School. “Our local students are blessed to have an organization that is solely focused on the educational betterment of every student that they encounter, whether it be face to face or virtually.”

“Wow! I can’t say enough positive things about our grade level class meeting this morning!” said Tiffany Kennedy, a third grade teacher at Galena Elementary School. “Thanks to the Sultana team we learned about a Secchi disc, oxygen levels in the water, SAVs, and much more. We even saw animals from the Chesapeake Bay! It couldn’t have been any better. The kids were so engaged, and we love how interactive you made our hour together.”

John Man displays an oyster shell fossil and their importance to the region after completing a watershed runoff exercise, shown sitting on the lab table.

“One of the best experiences during Church Hill Elementary School’s two months of online learning was our Virtual Classroom Live experience with the Sultana Education Foundation,” added Paul Taylor, a 4th grade teacher at the school. “The Sultana staff customized the program to my curriculum needs and engaged my students with artifacts and questions during our program. I tried virtual trips with other organizations, but those did not have nearly the level of interactive learning and excitement as the SEF’s Virtual Classroom Live program.”

Moving forward, SEF will continue developing the website and live programs ensuring the organization is poised to offer unique assistance to regional teachers during the 2020-21 school year. “Right now, nobody really knows what school is going to look like this fall,”said Cerino. “But whatever the format, SEF will be ready to assist and continue delivering our unique programs and resources to area students and teachers.”

About the Sultana Education Foundation

Founded in 1997, the Sultana Education Foundation is a private nonprofit dedicated to providing unique, hands-on educational opportunities that promote stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental legacies. The Foundation is a two-time recipient of the National Maritime Historical Foundation’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education.

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Sultana Announces Discounts for Residential Summer Programs

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SEF Announces 40% Discounts on Residential Summer Programs for Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th Grade Students in Kent County

As an extension of its highly successful Watershed Watch program for 7th grade students, the Sultana Education Foundation is offering 40% discounts on five-day residential summer programs for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders who attend Kent County schools. Established in 2017, Watershed Watch is a comprehensive field program that uses the Radcliffe Creek watershed in Chestertown as a case study to introduce students to broader ecological concepts related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. At the end of the program, students implement Action Projects that play a role in improving the health of the stream. This innovative initiative is conducted in partnership with Kent County Middle School, Radcliffe Creek School, Kent School, and the Chestertown Christian Academy

“We see a great benefit for Watershed Watch students to participate in these extended summer programs,” commented Chris Cerino, Vice President of the Sultana Education Foundation. “Our five-day residential trips are an incredible opportunity for these students to have a more in depth experience on the Chesapeake, and furthers the Foundation’s mission to create future stewards of the Bay.”

The Watershed Watch Summer Program Discount applies to five-day residential trips onboard the schooner SULTANA, as well as five-day kayak camping trips on the Sassafras and Nanticoke Rivers. The discount is made possible by generous funding provided by grants from the Indian Point Foundation, the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, and the Veverka Family Foundation.

For additional information about the Sultana Education Foundation’s Summer Programs, visit www.sultanaeducation.org or call 410-778-5954.

 

Sultana Summer Programs Almost 20% Booked!

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You may be starting to pile on the layers but the Sultana Education Foundation is already gearing up for summer!  With completely new camps and additional dates to offer, Sultana is packing even more fun educational experiences into your child or loved one’s summer. For children ages 5-18, Sultana offers a variety of programs, from exploring local waters and land through a day camp, or discovering unique and unknown parts of the bay through an overnight program. Filled with exciting and hands-on activities like crafts, games, fishing, paddling, sailing, beach combing and more, Sultana’s programs have something to offer to every child.  Let Sultana create a life-long appreciation for the outdoors, along with memories and friendships they won’t ever forget.

If you or know someone interested in these programs, please visit Sultana’s webpage, sultanaeducation.org/summer-programs/ or call Liza Brocker at (410)-778-5954 ext 201; lbrocker@sultanaeducation.org. Register today!

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.