Ohio Ace Education Marketplace

The Urban Wilderness Program offers educational value to students through activities that encourage growth, self-confidence, leadership, and a strong connection to nature. We do this through boatbuilding, canoeing and wilderness skills. Our boatbuilding program allows students to construct a beautiful skin-on-frame canoe from start to finish. Students use a complete array of construction techniques: measuring, cutting, hand carving, sanding, steam-bending, lashing, riveting, lacing, skinning and finishing to name some. Without realizing it, they are broadening their knowledge of math, chemistry and physics. Our staff—trained by master craftsmen from the Minneapolis-based Urban Boatbuilders—ensures that each and every student has a hand in the process and can take pride in the finished product. Canoe trips have been a staple of our Northwoods summer programs, and our city-based canoeing program offers students a taste of this efficient means of wilderness travel. From paddling and portaging to river reading and rescue techniques, students are introduced to the foundational skills of canoe camping. Along the way, they learn the value of communication and teamwork. After our building a canoe with students, we offer schools a chance to take students on a wilderness field trip. Kids learn to be comfortable in the outdoors via hands-on activities such as campfire cooking, fire by friction, knot tying, shelter making, wildlife identification, and knife and ax techniques. Overall, the Urban Wilderness Program partners with schools and organizations to provide students of all backgrounds truly unique, hands-on experiences. The services provided are engaging, relevant, and dynamic. Participants will learn how to achieve a task at hand through applied sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Our organization is always evolving and working to improve after every build and trip!