82 Kids Left Behind
Every summer for the past six years, a dedicated group of instructors and I have taught inner city kids from Harlem and the Bronx to whitewater kayak. Our kayaking camp begins in a swimming pool in lower Harlem with an introduction to kayaks and how to get in and out of them and progresses to running a whitewater river in Connecticut by day 5. For all of the students, some of whom do not know how to swim, this is their first experience with the sport and their first introduction to the outdoor world. (Our camp this year began on Saturday, July 14th).
The camp has been incredibly popular, so much so that we have had to turn students away when we ran out of space. It has also grown to include a multi day wilderness river trip on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in Oregon along with the city based camp. What these kids have learned about themselves and the natural world is hard to put into words. The obvious lessons are about taking risks, being responsible for your own actions, and caring for the natural world. The other more subtle and profound lessons are about trust, building confidence, and achieving dreams and goals. Of course, there is a huge element of fun in all of this, as well.
Unfortunately, this will be the last summer we are able to do the camp. Last month, the Harbor’s Upward Bound program where our students come from had its funding cut by the US Department of Education. Upward Bound is a national, federally funded program that was created to increase the number of low income and first generation students going to college. The Upward Bound program at the Harbor, located at 1 East 104th Street, has been in place for 27 years. Every year it assists 82 high school students with college placement and enrollment. Under the direction of Crystal Floyd, the Harbor’s Upward Bound college enrollment rate is one of the highest in the country averaging between 88-100%. Some of our camp participants include former graduates of the Harbor’s Upward Bound program who have gone on to become teachers within the program. Other graduates have become doctors, lawyers, and CEOs.
If the program does not find any replacement funding by September 1, 2007, it will be gone. It’s hard to quantify the effects of cutting this program, but its ripple will be felt far and wide in the communities the Harbor serves. Not only will these kids miss out on learning to kayak and learning about our natural world but also on getting a real chance for a fruitful future. 82 kids a year that once had the opportunity to go to college will fall through the cracks.
The Upward Bound staff and students are not going down without a fight, however. They have taken it upon themselves create a drive to raise $10,000 and are seeking corporations or businesses to match what they raise. The cost of running this Upward bound program for one year is $300,000. Crystal Floyd and the rest of the Upward Bound staff are determined that they can run a modified version of the program on less money and are willing to do it. If 29,000 people donate $10, we can save this program and have a direct effect in helping these kids have a chance at a better future. That’s something we can do to make sure none of these kids are left behind!
