Brooklyn Park teacher to paddle 1K miles on Mississippi to help students heal
Teacher takes canoe trip to raise funds for students
A teacher at Prairie Seeds Academy in Brooklyn Park is canoeing 1,000 miles down the Mississippi River to help students reconnect with nature, while raising $20,000 for students affected by the federal immigration crackdown in the process. FOX 9’s Maury Glover has the story.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A north metro teacher is turning a personal adventure into a mission to help students recover from a tough year.
Canoeing for a cause: Supporting students through outdoor experiences
What we know:
Tyler Sassaman, a reading instructor at Prairie Seeds Academy, is preparing to paddle 1,000 miles from Lake Itasca to Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River
But instead of his usual summer canoe trips on Lake of the Isles, he will be paddling for a purpose.
Dig deeper:
Sassaman came up with the idea after noticing some of his students at the Hmong charter school were too scared to attend class during the federal immigration crackdown last winter.
He wanted to help them heal by getting them outdoors.
"The outdoors is so restorative, emotionally, physically being physically challenged. These are deeply human things that happen when we get outdoors," said Sassaman.
Local perspective:
Sassaman has spent the past 12 summers as an instructor at Voyageur Outward Bound in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
He hopes to raise $20,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to pay for field trips, overnights and three-week-long wilderness stays for students at Prairie Seeds Academy.
Sassaman plans to paddle up to 30 miles a day over seven weeks, all while exploring the history of the country during its 250th anniversary.
"I'm doing what I can with what I know how. So, this is what I could do," said Sassaman.
What they're saying:
Sassaman is motivated by the thought of helping his students.
"What will keep me going is all this money and this challenge is going to kids at Prairie Seeds to get outside and enjoy the world, feel safe," said Sassaman.
What's next:
He will begin his journey on June 19 and plans to share updates on his paddling for a purpose Facebook page for those interested in following along.