Summary:

I believe that a daily connection to the outdoors makes healthier individuals and stronger communities. Saint Paul has one of the great rivers of the world right in our backyard--the Mighty Mississippi. And yet the vast majority of Saint Paul youth--especially youth of color--have never been on the river in a canoe or kayak, or biked or hiked its shores. My vision is that every child in the Saint Paul Public Schools would have the opportunity to paddle a canoe on the Mississippi River and camp along its shores as part of a hands-on-learning opportunity that builds character, determination, and deep connection to the City of Saint Paul.

The Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventure’s central contribution is using the Mississippi River to help transform education and reduce the academic achievement gap. By creating fun, hands-on, and engaging outdoor education opportunities, our goal is to stem summer learning loss for some of Saint Paul’s most challenged students. Reduction of summer learning loss is a critical factor in the overall effort to close the achievement gap. Additionally, we aim to provide opportunities for students of color to connect to career track job opportunities in the outdoor industry, further reinforcing students’ desire to realize their educational goals and pursue promising futures.

The Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Program is a cross-sector partnership involving Wilderness Inquiry, the National Park Service, The Saint Paul Public Schools, the Department of Natural Resources, the City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, and many other partners and would build upon the the Great River Passage master plan.