2024 Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure
Our BWCA Canoe Adventure is back and we are thrilled to invite 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from Andersen, Anne Sullivan, Anthony, Anwatin, Franklin, Ella Baker, Justice Page, MPS Online, Northeast, Olson and Sanford Middle Schools to join us!
This week-long experience supports our programming by inspiring students to set goals, practice support and experience success in the most beautiful setting in Minnesota. Students will be spending every day paddling canoes on beautiful lakes, hiking wooded trails and moving through the wilderness each day to get to a new campsite. There will also be plenty of time for making new friends, swimming, looking for animals, laughing, exploring, singing and bonding with fellow campers!
We have had an incredible response to our 2024 Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure and all 4 trips are currently full. You may still register your student to get on the waitlist and we will let you know as soon as possible if a spot opens up.
TRIP DATES
Trip 1: June 15-21, 2024
Trip 2: June 23-29, 2024
Trip 3: June 24-30, 2024
Trip 4: July 8-14, 2024
TRIP COST & SCHOLARSHIPS
The trip cost is $600. If a family can afford to pay the entire amount, we appreciate that they do so, allowing us to continue to take more students on this valuable trip. However, Project Success wants to ensure we include all students who really want to go, regardless of cost. Need-based scholarships are available and easy to obtain for up to $550 of the trip fee. Scholarship applications are included in the online registration.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Senior Program Manager, Jenny Batten at jennyb@projectsuccess.org.
2024 BWCA Canoe Adventure!
All trips are currently full. You may register to get your student on the waitlist by clicking the button below.
REGISTER NOW
Questions about Project Success Outdoor Adventures programming? Reach out to Senior Program Manager Jenny Batten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can go on the BWCA Trip? Our BWCA program is open for MPS current 6th, 7th and 8th grade students to apply. Students will actually attend the trip in the summer after their 6th, 7th or 8th grade year.
How many spots for students are available? We have 4 trip weeks available with 48 spots for students in each week. Those 48 will include students from all 11 of our middle schools. We will bring up to 192 students total over the summer.
Do the trips fill up? Our BWCA trips do fill up and typically fill before the application deadline. We recommend that if you can only attend a certain week, that you apply right away in order to get the trip week you want.
Only 9 people can travel together in the BWCA at a time. How do you split up the groups? Each week will have 7 groups of 9 people: 7 students and 2 adults. The adults are a Project Success Staff Leader and a Wilderness Guide from Wilderness Canoe Base. The students in each group will be a random mix from varying schools and grades. Whenever possible, there will be at least 2 students from the same school in a group.
Can students choose which group they are in? We don’t take any personal requests for friends to be together in a group. Part of the magic of a canoe trip is getting to know people who you may not necessarily know beforehand. After years of experiencing these trips, we know how much more successful a trip is when students are not burdened by roles and expectations that friends put on other friends. Our staff facilitates community building activities at the beginning of the trip and throughout so that students get to know one another, and each student knows how they can contribute to the success of the group, physically and emotionally. There have been so many examples of students ending the trip having made long-lasting friendships with students they had never met before! Students can definitely choose to apply for the same trip week so they can at least ride the bus up and back together. If you have any questions or concerns about trip groups, please email jennyb@projectsuccess.org.
Do students need to know how to swim? Students do not need to know how to swim, but they will need to get in the water with a life jacket on. Everyone is required to wear a life jacket when in, on and near the water. Life jackets are fitted to you and will make you float in the water!
What do I need to bring? Here is a BWCA Packing List in English and Liste Empaque en español. Most everything on the packing list will be clothes you have at home. But Project Success has extras of many things that you can borrow (including sleeping bags). Please don’t let the packing list scare you! Contact Jenny or Josh if you have any questions about packing.
Is there a more accessible outdoor trip for students with physical, health, developmental, social and cognitive needs? Yes! Project Success is partnering with Wilderness Inquiry to provide an outdoor adventure that is designed to help students who require extra support to access and enjoy outdoor recreational activities. Click here to learn more about this accessible outdoor adventure.
For additional BWCA information, contact our Outdoor Adventures Program Team at jennyb@projectsuccess.org or joshm@projectsuccess.org.
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