PCYC

Help students find community in the Wilderness

Reviving a Beloved Tradition: After a pandemic pause, we're thrilled to have revived our decades-long tradition of taking PYC Arts & Tech High School students to the breathtaking Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in fall 2023! A PCYC tradition since the 1970s, help us keep the momentum going by supporting these transformative experiences!

These excursions are possible, in part, because of our long-standing partnership with Lake Wapogasset, the owners and operators of the Wilderness Canoe Base. As a partner, Wapogasset allows our groups to use camp facilities and canoes at no cost. However, PCYC is responsible for all other program costs. To eliminate potential barriers to participation, we provide these trips for free to our students, and provide ways for them to earn school credit while they are there.

The Need:BWCA Trip 2018

All students at our PYC Arts & Technology High School, are eligible for BWCA trips. As a contract alternative school, we enroll students in grades 10-12 whose educational needs have not been met by traditional schools. Students typically come behind in credit and achievement levels, and PYC’s small class sizes and individualized attention successfully move them to graduate and prepare them for workforce, vocational, and college programs.

Since the typical PYC student traditionally enrolls already behind in credit earnings, providing creative and enriching opportunities to earn credits makes a significant impact in their overall academic success and ability to graduate. Teachers and other staff work hard to make meaningful connections with students, and these trips strengthen these bonds even more.

Many of our students have not traveled far from their home North Minneapolis community. Giving them a cost-free experience in true wilderness is a one-of-a-kind adventure whose positive effects ripple throughout their personal and academic lives.

The Impact:

• In 2023, over three nights and four days, 9 students embarked on their first-ever BWCA adventure, visiting the Wilderness Canoe Base, discovering new strengths, and bonding with peers and staff.
• Zero prior experience was no obstacle; students learned to canoe, camp, navigate, and and work as a team.
• Reflective journaling helped them process their growth, solidifying the experience's lasting impact.
• Student received school credit for participating in journaling, discussions, and activities on the trip.

The Voices:

• Students had a lot to share about their experience in 2023, also captured in the journals that they keep while they are there: 

"I learned I can canoe and get along with other people pretty well... and that I should step out of my comfort zone more because it could be fun."

- Sana’A, 11th grader

“It was my first time in the Boundary Waters. My first time camping, too… I liked it. It was refreshing. When I left, I felt like I’d accomplished something. And when we got back, I was just ready to work.”

- Arianna, 12th Grader

• Staff have insights of their own after each trip:

"The trip fosters a growth that happens, a new appreciation for themselves and others."

- David Tarleton, Director of Education

"It builds bonds between staff and students, allowing us to push them further in class, together."

- Nate Christen, PYC English Teacher

The Goal:

Support the continuation of this life-changing tradition, ensuring more students can: 

• Develop essential life skills
• Form unbreakable bonds with staff and peers
• Discover their inner strength and resilience
• Boost academic achievement with creative credit earning
• Experience the Wilderness!

BWCA Group Photo 2020What your gift can do: 

• Paddler ($30): Gives food for one staff for one full travel day.
• Camper ($60): Provides supplemental gear and supplies for two students.
• Trailblazer ($100): 
• Voyager ($450): Supplies food during travel days for all staff and students for one trip.
• Navigator ($1,200): Covers full transportation costs for one trip.

This year, we invite you to help us meet our Give to the Max goal of $9,000 - enough for three BWCA excursions!

Your contributions will keep this PCYC tradition going and growing strong for years to come.

Thank you!

PCYC: Proudly serving North Minneapolis for 70 years.

Our mission:  Rooted in North Minneapolis, PCYC ignites a spirit of inspiration, connection, and growth.