Alex Randall ’26 with the canoe he built over the summer. Photo provided.
The Peak Pathways Program, Northwood School’s exciting evolution of its successful Independent Initiatives, has returned! The program is structured in a way that provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in a year-long, self-designed exploration of a topic or field that aligns with their future aspirations. Northwood continues to foster an environment where students learn and actively engage in research and critical thinking, transforming education into a lived experience.
This summer, Alex Randall ‘25 undertook an ambitious project: constructing a 15-foot canoe in his garage. He is preparing to build a second, larger canoe as part of the Peak Pathways Program, which encourages students to apply their skills to real-world projects. His initial canoe served as a test, using cheaper materials to minimize mistakes and learn the fundamentals of boat building. “I wanted to gain some first-hand experience before diving headfirst into a new project,” Alex explained. “I started with cheaper materials to avoid making costly mistakes.”
Guided by his grandfather, an experienced boat builder, Alex tackled a foreign process. The project involved bending different widths of wood to form the canoe’s shape, followed by applying fiberglass to waterproof the wooden planks. One of the more challenging skills he mastered was steaming wood to make it flexible enough to bend. Reflecting on his learning experience, Alex noted, “One of the most remarkable skills I had to master was bending wood through steaming. This technique softens the cell walls, allowing the wood to become flexible.”
Alex Randall works on the wooden canoe he built over the summer. Photo provided.
While rewarding, the project was not without its difficulties. Balancing the time between his summer job and the demands of canoe construction was tough, and the extended periods of waiting for glue to dry often delayed progress. Nonetheless, Alex remains committed to refining his skills through this experience.
Looking ahead, Alex plans to build a second, larger canoe with greater width, depth, and more intricate details than his first attempt. This next phase of the project will push his skills further as he continues to grow through Northwood’s Peak Pathways Program. By allowing students to design their projects, the Peak Pathways Program equips them with practical problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills. Programs like this prepare students for a rapidly changing world by promoting their strengths and encouraging them to take ownership of their learning, making them better prepared to adapt and innovate.
