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Texas River School

We are a grassroots, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization founded in 1991 to provide fun, safe canoe adventures for grade school students who may not otherwise have the opportunity. We believe in the power of outdoor education to keep our kids and rivers healthy.

We specialize in:

• Teaching students practical preparation for outdoor activities including conservation measures and healthy meal planning,
• Training in river and canoe skills,
• Providing opportunities for creative expression through hands-on experience,
• Guiding a comfortable, natural, "leave no trace" adventure on the river.

Environmental programming is vital to ensure stewardship of our natural resources. We believe that kids who grow up with this knowledge will protect our resources in the future. It is our vision that outdoor programming such as ours will one day become part of the basic elementary school curriculum.

Children benefit by having experiences that are difficult to emulate in other settings - the chance to learn self-reliance, responsibility to self and others, to have positive outdoor experiences and to realize that there is much satisfaction to be had away from the television and the computer.

The kids have a great time, and based on the feedback we've received, they retain what they've learned, and apply it to their lives outside of the school setting. This is good news for us, because we know we are making a positive contribution to our community.

"Not only did I witness children who were academically struggling at our school take leadership roles during this trip, I watched them as they successfully participated in problem solving and critical thinking activities that just blew me away!"

Claudia M. Santamaria
Principal, J.J. Pickle Elementary

Here is a video all about the Texas River School! Just click the play button twice to start the video to find out all about us!