I'm especially interested in how El Nino will affect the race. The dogs have been training in the cold, but recently it's been kind of warm. Use of the Iditarod as a classroom learning tool is no accident. The Iditarod Trail Committee, manager of the race, encourages teachers around the world to get their students interested. Kits include wall maps of the trail, a 177-page training book and as many as four videos.
Students seem to pick up on it very quickly.
We average selling about 4,000 new kits a year, in addition to supplements that update previous kits. The Iditarod uses 1,500 volunteers during the race, many assigned the job of answering queries from school children. Terry Richard's column appears Wednesday. Terry Richard's column appears Wednesday. We welcome your feedback.