I got an email from the coordinator from some sort of afterschool program in Emporia. He's done some orienteering and is interested in setting up something for the Emporia schools. Can we help him?

Here is some more info:

I am the Site Coordinator for Project QUEST at Emporia High School. Project QUEST designs and imiplements alternative after-school activities for the students of the Emporia School District. I have run several O meets when I lived in Minneapolis and am interested in starting an O club at Emporia High School. I am, however, by no means an expert on orienteering or setting up orienteering courses. I am wondering if you might know of someone in the Emporia area that would be a resource for me. Also, how do I find out about upcoming meets in the Kansas City and Lawrence area? One more thing, I know of a place here in the flint hills that would be a fantastic place for an orienteering meet. Camp Wood YMCA has several hundred acres of beautiful flint hills property that would be perfect for such an event.

Thanks for your help.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), September 19, 2001

Answers

Well, maybe someone could help him, but it might be easier for him to help himself.

It is encouraging to hear from time to time people say they are interested in orienteering, and often it is someone who works in public schools. The trouble is it always seems that they live out in Western Kansas somewhere. It would be too much work for an OKer to take multiple trips there to make a map when there are already maps near Lawrence. (Of course, public parks are generally better than private areas for obtaining access, not just one time but in the future and even after administration changes).

I don't know what Spike may have told him, but it seems to me that the best thing for him to do is to travel occasionally to Lawrence (or possibly even Kansas City). There are meet schedules and meets planned. Almost all offer beginner level courses. If he can transport students on weekends (rather than after school), he should take them to these meets! If he can convince clubs like OK that there is interest then there might be special arrangements to hold more local events specifically tailored to his students. If there seems like there is longer-term stability in his project there might even be some maps made (e.g., by OK) near Emporia.

So... if students get interested in orienteering, what are they supposed to do on all those other after school days?

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), September 20, 2001.