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students reADY FOR
'Youth on the Columbia'

For the second straight year, about 1,800 students from 14 local schools will get to experience the Columbia River in a way few can.

The 'Youth on the Columbia' program, which runs from May 1 through June 5, combines education and hands-on activities to elevate students' understanding of early-day Columbia River exploration and its impacts on native cultures.

Made possible through a joint partnership of the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center and the Wenatchee Row & Paddle Club, the program provides students the opportunity to paddle on the Columbia River in 26-foot Voyageur canoes, participate in educational stations, and tour museum exhibits.

Last year, the Row and Paddle Club and the museum honored the 200-year anniversary of explorer David Thompson's expedition on the Columbia with a community awareness campaign that included school field trips that allowed students to paddle on the river and to learn more about Thompson.

Youth on the Columbia is an off-shoot of that, with the focus shifting from Thompson to one that is more broadly based on early-day exploration and indigenous cultures in the region.

Community outreach

 We reach out.
We partner. We engage.

A big part of Wenatchee Row & Paddle Club's mission is to partner with other groups and businesses to better the health and fitness of residents, to be good stewards of the Columbia River, and to educate young and old about the great waterway's rich history.

Our signature community program is Youth on the Columbia, which provides 2,000 local students annually a chance to paddle the river themselves in 26-foot Voyageur canoes and to learn more about native cultures and early day exploration. We partner with the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center to put on this 25-day event. A host of sponsors provide financial support.

During the spring and fall, we hold clean-up days in Riverfront Park, which is the home for our facility.

We reach out in other ways, too. Many of our members have a deep knowledge of the river. They relish the opportunity to share that expertise with others in the community — whether that be in schools or in service clubs.

Rowing andPaddling

Join us in the love of
human-powered craft

The Wenatchee Row & Paddle Club is the only facility of its kind in the upper Columbia River. For those who live in the Wenatchee area, we are at most a 10-minute drive away. And thanks to the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, which travels right by our facility, we are within biking distance of the entire metro area.

Just as our name implies, we cater to both rowers and paddlers. Within our club, those who enjoy these amateur sports possess various skill levels. While most of our members row and paddle recreationally for fitness, we do have some who train for and compete in masters races. We also have a growing program for juniors.

Getting out on the Columbia River provides amazing views of not only the Cascade Mountains and foothills but also of the metropolitan area. Wildlife is frequently spotted on the shorelines, including in the habitat-rich Horan Wildlife Area adjacent to the Columbia's confluence with the Wenatchee River.

For more on rowing and paddling, see the pages under the 'Activities' link.