SUNSHIP III : Perception and Choice for the Journey Ahead

by Bruce Johnson, Bruce Johnson

How do you motivate a 14 year old? Steve Van Matre and his colleagues spent 10 years figuring out the answer and then piloted their result for another five. SUNSHIP III (not to be confused with Sunship Earth, the institute's pioneering program for younger students) is a completely new program, named after the third planet from the sun. This dynamic experience for 13-14 year olds is about seeing things in a new way and making personal choices for a new lifestyle. An initial 2 1/2 day "Commencement" serves as a powerful springboard for what the participants will continue working on back at home and school. SUNSHIP III P/C, a twin-headed character representing both our harmonious and disruptus sides; Earth Woman, an old storyteller who sets the teenagers off on a journey of exploration and discovery; Solarians, a measure of sunlight energy that must be spent for every action taken; Billy's Day, a teenager with a lot of energy-intense habits he doesn't see; and The Shadow of Death, an early morning rendezvous for the earth's endangered species.

130 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 1997

About the author

Bruce Johnson is Docent and Visiting Professor, Cultural History, University of Turku (Finland); Adjunct Professor, Contemporary Music Studies, Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia); Honorary Professor, Department of Music, University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK).