If you have a teenager who’s getting on your nerves - one who can’t stop texting - here’s an opportunity for both of you to take a break. The James River Association is offering high school students a chance to cruise for a week this summer - to learn about history, science, and life.
Thirty students will paddle three different sections of the James River for eight days -- beginning in the mountains on June 27th. Lead educator Kyle Burnett says the first team of ten will negotiate a series of rapids en route to Lynchburg, including Balcony Falls.
"And we actually camp right above it the very last night, so we are on a beach and we can see Balcony - and by that point students are really good paddlers. They’re ready to run Balcony."
The second group will spend a few of its days traveling on board the traditional flat bottomed river boat of the James.
"When we’re on a bateau, we get to see what life was like for people that traveled the river hundreds of years ago. It's really a step back in time when we get to step on those bateaus"
They’ll hear from business owners and farmers who live along the river, learn about leadership and master the skills needed to camp out. Twice a day, they’ll test the river water and search for aquatic life, learning science lessons as they move toward the Chesapeake. Each night one student will be allowed to blog, so families back home can follow the adventure, but no one is allowed to bring cell phones or other electronics.
“Students are so connected to devices nowadays - their cell phones, iPads, whatever that might be - oftentimes we see students students with their heads down. And this is an opportunity for students to bring their heads up and look around them.”
Having done that, the association hopes kids will begin to think about how they live, and what impact it has on our rivers and streams. The cost is $100 - a fee paid by the cruise sponsor, the Dominion Foundation, if families can’t afford it. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 31st, and Kyle Barnett says there’s one more reason to ride the river. It’s something cool you can mention on those college applications.
