Tulani Ackerman in the home stretch for StEps for Students journey

Her summer journey is almost complete, Tulani Ackerman, the Prince Rupert based teacher who has been cycling and walking through BC seeking out a discussion on education in BC has arrived on Vancouver Island and near the end of her tour of the province.

Through her now six week trip she has heard a wide range of thoughts on the current state of education in the province some of which have been posted to her StEps for Students website.

Her trek now takes her into Nanaimo today, with her final destination of Victoria and the Legislature on her horizon for Thursday.

If all goes according to the schedule, she anticipates her journey to end in Victoria with  a picnic for education at the noon hour at the City Hall Centennial Square area and then a twenty  minute walk to mark her arrival at the Legislature in the early afternoon of Thursday

A snapshot of some of the reviews of her journey can be found from the various communities that the StEps for kids tour passed through over the last six weeks.

August 9-- Taking steps for students
August 6-- A cyclist with a lesson
July 28-- Ackerman stops in town during bike tour
July 27-- Teacher seeking educational unity stops in Nakusp
Julky 27-- Teacher to visit Trail to hear parent's curriculum wishes
July 26-- Teacher bikes across B. C. for students
July 22-- Walking, biking for change
July 20-- Making students top priority
July 20-- Teacher steps into question of how children are being taught
July 20-- Teacher walking across province to stop in Nakusp
July 19-- Teacher takes cause on the road
July 12-- Education Biker Steps for Students
July 9-- Northern BC Resident cycles her way to Victoria, all in the name of education
July 7-- Prince Rupert teacher bikes across province for educational gaps
July 2-- Prince Rupert teacher will be pedaling into Bulkley Valley soon
July 1-- Pedaling a Better World
June 30-- Ready to roll in support of better education
June 30-- Prince Rupert Teacher ready to begin trek
June 29-- Teacher travelling across B. C.

Past items from Podunk on the journey

July 19-- Tulani Ackerman tour rolls into Kamloops
July 3-- Tracking Tulani

You can find much more information on her journey and how you can continue to become involved in education by checking out her StEps for Students website, which features a variety of items as well as updates and photos included from the road during the trip.

Tulani Ackerman tour rolls into Kamloops

Tulani Ackerman's Steps for Students tour is into Day 19 of her trek to Victoria and as  the Prince Rupert teacher moves through the Chilcotin region and on towards the Okanagan, she continues to hear the concerns of students, parents and educators over the current state of education in the province.

Ackerman, who is cycling and walking from Prince Rupert to the Legislature left Prince Rupert on Canada Day and the feedback from communities along the way has been instructive over the course of the last three weeks.

While stopped in Kamloops on Sunday she told the Kamloops Daily News that among the things she has learned so far is that people seem to be losing hope and confidence in our education system,  that students are not being given a broader range of education due to budgetary cuts and are losing connections with their teachers.

She also has tapped into a current from parents that blaming under funding may not be the whole answer to the problem, but rather how administrators are spending the money that they do have.

The tour is expected to reach Victoria by August 12th.

She has been posting an account of her travels on the StEps for students website, you can check out the progress thus far as she heads for the mid way point of her journey.

Below is some of the coverage of her trip so far.

Kamloops Daily News 
CKPG TV
Houston Today

Tracking Tulani

Prince Rupert teacher Tulani Ackerman began her trek to Victoria on Canada Day leaving the familiar view from Mariners Park with a course due east then south and then west to Victoria, part of her StEps for Students journey that will take her to a number of communities across BC seeking input on the educational system.

Ackerman is hoping to meet with parents, students, fellow teachers, administrators and all interested parties along the way, seeking to learn; "What do  our schools need to provide for the next generation of learners?"

By the time she arrives in Victoria to deliver her findings she will have travelled over hundreds if not thousands of kilometres and brought her infectious sense of energy to many communities across the province.

Those interested in her journey can follow along as her progress is tracked, while those along the way can schedule an event to tie in with her arrival in their community and reinforce the message of educational change that she is bringing along with her during the next six weeks. Her StEps website features a listing of her itinerary and when she anticipates arrival each day.

Her pre departure planning was covered by a number of media sources in Prince Rupert:

Daily News-- Ready to roll in support of better education
CFTK TV 7 -- Prince Rupert Teacher ready to begin trek

Communities due east are now making their plans for her arrival, with Smithers waiting for their first Tulani sighting on Monday,  while Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake are waiting later in the week.

Rupertites and other interested observers can follow along with Ms. Ackerman by following progress and postings from her website and via twitter while she's on the road.