GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Public Schools partnered together create The Grand Canoe Experience, a locally led outdoor initiative that gave more than 900 GRPS eighth-graders the opportunity to canoe at Riverside Park.
“We’re excited for another great year of helping Grand Rapids kids learn more about the outdoors,” said Sam Truby who leads GR Outside, an outdoor education focused division within the City’s parks and recreation department. “The Grand River is a big piece of our City and this is a unique opportunity for kids to experience the river in a new way.”
This is the eighth year the City and GRPS have partnered to provide outdoor learning experiences for students and the second year the program has been led entirely by local partners.
"For many of our scholars, this is their first opportunity to experience our waterways from the seat of a canoe,” said GRPS Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby. “It’s a powerful extension of learning beyond the classroom, where they can connect directly with the natural resources that surround our community and better understand their importance. I’m grateful to the City of Grand Rapids for their continued partnership in making this experience possible for our young people.”
Throughout the week, GRPS students engaged in several outdoor activities, including paddling nine-passenger canoes, learning about invasive species and native planting and wetland restoration, boat building, macro and mussel identification, and more. Community partners including Camp Newaygo, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., John Ball Zoo, Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW), Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Environmental Health Bureau, and the City’s sustainability and water departments will provide land-based education opportunities.
"We see a variety of approaches to K-12 outdoor education. Grand Rapids Public Schools and GR Outside are some of the most innovative partners we work with. Our team now looks forward to bringing their expertise in teaching youth outside to this capstone experience each May," said Jalisa Danhof, Camp Newaygo Director.