In Charlotte, North Carolina, where Charlie is from, the lives of kids his age and younger are centered around school, social media and friends whose lives are the exact same in that way. It is hard, Charlie believes, when stuck in this cycle of living, to realize how much you appreciate what you’ve been given in life and to appreciate the world around you. Having the opportunity to explore himself both in camp and at Alzar, Charlie sought to give those around him the same opportunity. In all of these explorations and expeditions, the activity that stuck out to Charlie with the most potential to hook his peers into the outdoors was kayaking.
Charlie’s initial project involved advertising at both his middle school and other areas of Charlotte for his retreats to the White Water Center. Eventually, the logistics of travel to and from the Whitewater center with minors became very challenging and Charlie had to pivot. Now, instead of strangers accompanying Charlie to the Whitewater Center, he instead utilized a pool and a rented kayak to first give basic kayaking lessons as well as teaching “the roll” to his peers in high school. Reaching out to his peers was ultimately the most important, and most difficult, part.
In the end, Charlie spent four hours instructing each of his peers, and acquired a paddle, kayak, noseplug, helmet, and lifejacket for his instructions. He filmed an entire session with one of his students, and advertised using word of mouth for his “River Ready Initiative.” His parents and siblings ultimately helped downscale the project slightly and make it into a reality, with countless hours planning and tweaking the project’s action plan and budget. Charlie’s action team helped plan the funding for the project’s gear and the dates for instruction, which first occurred over the weekend in mid-April.
Charlie’s project is not yet done. Creating the River Ready Initiative has given Charlie his first and biggest outlet for the technical and leadership skills he gained at Alzar. For this reason, he hopes he can continue to implement them in his community in Mecklenburg County, Charlotte. The more he has taught his peers kayaking and outdoor skills, the more their interest has grown. Soon, Charlie will attempt to extend the project to the Whitewater Center to gain actual whitewater experience for the people he has worked with. Charlie also hopes to extend the age group of the project’s participants to middle schoolers in the upcoming year.
