New River Academy Whitewater Kayak School

Pucon, Chile

As a service project Eleanor Perry recently organized the New River Academy high school students on a trip to benefit Pucon, Chile’s all girls orphanage. Perry a Team Dagger paddler and Spanish teacher at the prestigious kayak academy chose her mentor team’s international activity to benefit the girl’s orphanage. Mentee students Michelle Yates and Sean Johnson would learn from Perry’s leadership as they planned the day of activities.

Student Report by Sean Johnson:

To kick off our week, we took off a day of kayaking to visit an all-girls orphanage in Pucon. We met about twelve orphans. They were enthusiastic and extraverted, not shy at all. When they didn’t seem interested in the Frisbee we brought, they pulled out a soccer ball and the games began.

A few of the parents decided to come down to Chile to visit and paddle with us. They spent about 10 days here, partly while we were on the Rio Fuy, one day on the San Pedro, and the rest in Pucon. Some of the parents paddled every day with us while those who didn't paddle spent time in and around town doing things. The kids who had their parents come down to visit were allowed to take off from school (yet still do the work) to spend some time with their parents.

After a few weeks of training Matt West and Tyson Rowley have attained cave man status!
Tyson and Matt are enrolled in the Wilderness survival class which meets once a day to learn the ancient methods of surviving in the outdoors without modern comforts such as tents and food. They have been training hard on their string making skills, fire making skills and plant recognition skills.

Horace Holden recently joined Huge Experiences’ New River Academy on the banks of the Rio Trancura of Pucon, Chile. Holden visited as part of the program’s parent invitational trip and is the father of 9th grade student, Isaac Holden.

Holden, with C-2 partner Wayne Dickert of NOC, was a member of the 1996 US Slalom Team competing in the ’96 Olympics on the Ocoee River.

Strokes and what they mean-

I just returned from Chile where I spent five days
with Isaac and the New River Academy gang, also known
as Huge Experiences. David Hughes invited parents to
join the traveling school group for a few days of
paddling. What an awesome way to interact with
teachers and students. I feel I experienced a candid
look into the daily operations as well as the
execution of the school's philosophies of leadership
development. Isaac loves it and I came away confident
he is in the perfect place for personal and academic
growth. Did I forget to mention that the kayaking and

By: Sam Fulbright: Sam Fulbright is one of the student leaders and a senior at the New River Academy. Sam is sponsored by Feed the Rat well as Kavu and Teva.

While being based in Choshuenco, Chile the group took a day off from running waterfalls on the upper, and surfing the waves of the lower to get a safety lesson. Fergus Coffey from Expeditions Chile (http://www.exchile.com/) was our teacher, as he boasts an impressive knowledge of river safety. Big thanks to Fergus for taking the time to teach us.

Student Report by: Eli Spiegel