Guest Bloggers Welcome!!!

If anyone is interested in contributing a short informational piece to the ExEd blog, just let me know. The MNSU ExEd community is full of people with various talents and passions, and the blog should reflect this diverse community.

Email me at josie.pitts@mnsu.edu and let me know if you are interested in putting some info out there.

Pasque Flower

I thought I would post Jasper's contribution this week of the beautiful slideshow of the Pasque Flower. This little flower is the first to bloom in the prairies, and is a significant sign of the coming spring! 

Be careful though, don't eat it. The flower is highly toxic and contains toxins that slow the heart down. It was also used by Blackfoot Native Americans during childbirth. The Pasque Flower is also the state flower of South Dakota. It's name refers to Easter or Passover, because that is when it usually blooms. 

Check out the cool slideshow by clicking here.

Congratulations to Ben Ingman and Mankato Climbing Team

Ben Ingman and the Mankato Climbing Team took first place in La Crosse, WI April 12th at a regional indoor climbing competition at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Great job to Ben and the team!!!

MNSU and MNCS Fall '08 Open Space Project

Fellow ExEd student Dan Cape will be working on a project for Fall '08 and is looking for people to join him. The idea is to start a program between MNSU students and Minnesota New Country School that would connect learning and experience between the both groups. This would be done through an Open Space Curriculum to allow discussion of ideas and putting them into action at Minnesota New Country. This would benefit the school and students. 

To learn more about this project, email Dan at: DCAPE08@yahoo.com

3rd Annual Wine and Cheese Party

The 3rd Annual Wine and Cheese benefit for the ECHO Food Shelf is Friday April 11, 8PM.

This will take place at Andy's place. Sampling will begin at 8:30PM. Please bring a bottle of wine for tasting and cheese/cracker/appetizer if you are interested.

Bring a money donation or a non-perishable food item to donate to the ECHO Food Shelf.

Practicums at Minnesota New Country School

If anyone is looking for practicum work, Minnesota New Country School would like to invite any ExEd students to come to them with their ideas.

Contact Jim Wartman: jwartman@newcountryschool.com

Minnesota New Country School Info

Jim Wartman, who is a fellow student and an advisor at Minnesota New Country School in Henderson would like to invite people to the following events at MNCS.

April 24th and May 22cd, 7:00PM

*These are Project Presentation nights for MNCS Students. They will present or demonstrate their projects in 15 minute presentations.

May 19th and 20th, 6PM

*Senior Presentation Night, seniors will present or demonstrate their final projects.

(These are their capstone projects with 300 hours invested, and extensive community work.)

There will be refreshments available. 

Check http://www.newcountryschool.com for more information.

Congratulations TA Loeffler!!

TA Loeffler, an alum from the Ex Ed Master's program in 1991, has been nominated and chosen as an MNSU 2008 Distinguished Alumnus in the Humanitarian category. She will be in Mankato to accept her award April 9-11.

She is an accomplished outdoor leader, mountaineer, athlete, world traveler, and humanitarian. She is a Professor of Outdoor Recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland.  

TA will share a presentation about her adventures on Friday, April 11, at 12-1:15PM, in CSU 203. Bring your lunch and enjoy the cold beverages provided and TA's adventures.

Click on the link under Student, Staff, and Alumni Adventures on the side of this blog to check out TA's website!

Welcome to the MNSU ExEd Blog

The Mankato ExEd blog is getting some updates.  I would like to invite everyone to contribute to this wonderful source. The blog is a great networking tool for current and future students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the distinguished Experiential Education program at MNSU.

If you are interested in contributing to the blog, let me know and we can set you up as a contributor for the blog. If anyone is interested in topics such as current trends in Experiential Education, outdoor education, charter schools, project-based learning, service-learning, sustainability, or anything that is of interest to you let me know.

Take a look at the links and add yourself to the Alumni Map. If you know Alumni in the program that would like to add info to this page, pass on the news. 

Thanks for checking in!

Josie

Photos wanted

We are collecting photos and requesting permission to post photos on the ExEd alumni website. Specifically we would like photos of alumni in activities that represent the broad spectrum of Experiential Education. So send us your photos of climbing, serving, traveling, paddling, on ropes courses, reflecting, and so on. Please do not send photos of people other than yourself or someone who has given you permission to share their image. If you have photos that need editing, we can probably do this. Just give us directions and we will send a draft for you to reveiw before we post it.

 Send the pictures to josie.pitts@mnsu.edu.