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Making Waves: Wilderness Kids Students Earn Level 3 River Safety Credentials


Five Wilderness Kids students set out on the Shenandoah River on November 2-3 for a Level 3 River Safety & Rescue Course. They are shown here with teachers and helpers from our partners at Team River Runner and Appalachian Guidance.


On November 2-3, several Wilderness Kids high school students achieved new heights. Usually when we use that phrase, we are tongue-in-cheek talking about some rock climbing achievement. However, today, we are celebrating five students - Dara, Jimmy, Adil, Sandra, and Oscar, in 9th and 10th grades - for completing an American Canoe Association Level 3 River Safety and Rescue course. Congratulations, everyone!


The day was made possible thanks to our wonderful partnerships with Appalachian Guidance and Team River Runner of Fort Belvoir. (TRR)


Included among the many things they learned were:


  • Defensive and offensive swim techniques and how to avoid foot entrapment

  • How to plan for the 4W’s (wind, water, weather, and waves)

  • Safety responsibilities of team members

  • How to prioritize rescue targets

  • And so much more.


Wilderness Kids students learn how to set an anchor from ACA Instructor Phil.

During the weekend, which included an overnight campout, students really developed a confidence in their independent ability to rescue their fellow paddlers. 


Wilderness Kids Program Coordinator, Lauren Walker, explained that it was also wonderful to see our students integrating into the larger paddling community, learning that there are other folks out there -  including paddlers from TRR and Appalachian Guidance - who care for and can support them. “They went from being ‘Wilderness Kids paddlers’ at the start of the weekend to simply ‘paddlers that Wilderness Kids helps support’ by the end of the weekend.”


To date, Wilderness Kids has provided outdoor experiences hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, sailing and more to hundreds of young people from Alexandria’s under-resourced families and under-served communities. Often, these are introductory experiences.


In the past year, while still offering introductory programs, we are so excited to be able to offer more advanced programming. For example, in 2024, our first student earned her climbing belay certification. Later in the year, another student earned his life-guard certificate with our support., And, now this month, five students have completed a Level 3 ACA course. 

Wilderness Kids Students (left to right) Jimmy, Oscar, Sandra, Dara, and Adil strike a pose with ACA instructor Jeff.

Those certifications are important for multiple reasons. For one, they provide credentials that our students simply would not otherwise get and that can lead to job opportunities that would otherwise not likely be open to our students - working at climbing gyms, swimming pools, or on river paddling programs. We are proud of Jimmy, a current 10th grader, who earned his lifeguarding certification and will soon start lifeguarding at Fort Belvoir.


Secondly, and equally importantly, earning a certification requires so many other things that are important to life - hard work, good communication, persistence, resilience, and teamwork, among others. These are all skills that–indoors or outdoors, in work or personal life–are incredibly important. 


Lastly, earning a certification provides a feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of “I can do this!” We are always telling our students, “You can do this, you belong here. We’ve got your back.” But, actually getting that credential provides each student more evidence than our words ever can offer that, indeed, they can do this and they do belong. 


Thank you to all of you who support our work for having our back as well, in so many ways.


Students holding hands and enjoying a float down the river at the end of the course.

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