Teachers and artists from several Stream of Dreams Murals Society program teams from across BC met today to share tips and techniques, and to brainstorm program ideas. As president of the board, I took the opportunity to put faces to some names, and sit in and listen to this dynamic bunch. We ran all day long, continuing discussion through lunch, an afternoon Dreamfish T-shirt painting session, and dinner.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and was impressed by the shared passion. Each person drew upon his or her unique characteristics and talents to present the SDMS watershed education program in slightly different ways, while covering the core concepts and remaining true to the society's mission "to educate communities about their watersheds, rivers and streams, while dazzling them with the charm of community art." It is precisely this flexibility that is key to drawing in students and keeping things interesting for everyone.
I'd like to share my president's message in the latest SDMS newsletter, for it speaks to this spirit:
Thank you to all our hard-working teams, volunteers, staff, board directors, members and supporters! The SDMS continues to add teams and partnerships across Canada, and our award-winning educational program is reaching more participants at an ever-increasing pace. We couldn’t do it without you. It is a privilege to work with such passionate people, and I hope we can set up some events at which teams, staff, directors and volunteers can meet each other, and share techniques and ideas. Polls show that Canadians are increasingly concerned about environmental issues, and we can capitalize on this trend to further spread our message of the importance of caring for our watersheds. All of those beautiful fish swimming on fences across our nation are symbols of hope for a future with clean water and a sustainable environment. I wish all of you well with your endeavours.Posted by Paul at July 10, 2007 09:02 PM