Peg Stout and Laura Wright, the 2016 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™, meet at the musher sign-up picnic

Taking charge of the legacy of the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most remarkable people.  I have seen Peg Stout several times in the last few years, close by her daughter’s side, the legendary musher DeeDee Jonrowe, as I waited for an autograph or photo at the Musher Drawing Banquet.  Their love and connection with one another is obvious to all.  I was honored to finally sit down with Peg at the Iditarod Volunteer Picnic during the summer camp for teachers.  Peg had a vision early in her career for using the Iditarod as a tool to enrich children’s literacy in the public schools of Alaska.  Here we are, today, with 18 years of the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ program, reaching teachers and students all over the world, sharing Iditarod themed lessons that inspire children across curriculum and in all grade levels.   As I move forward this year, I am mindful of her early perseverance and dedication that has contributed so much to the history of the Iditarod and its outreach that has benefited so many children.  Thank you Peg!