The largest historical venue in Monroe will host a day-long rally on Saturday, September 16, to help support some of the most promising youth of Detroit in sustaining a summer kayak and ecological exploration program through the Youth Connection in Detroit.

The River Raisin National Battlefield, a national park, where a major battle of the war of 1812 was won by indigenous Americans hosts a Rally on the River with historical weapons demonstrations, historical re-enactments of candlemaking, blacksmithing and fur traders along with fireworks, military salutes and kids’ activities.

Tours of a real battlefield will come with come with stories of brave Wyandot warriors and triumphant strategies to beat the British, told by actors in period costumes. Detroit kids will be welcomed with open arms. Many are frequent visitors.

Nearly 10,000 field trips and 1,200 free kayaking trips for youth are funded by activities like Rally on the River. One of the biggest beneficiaries of ongoing activities in and out of the water is the Youth Connection in Detroit, according to president and CEO Grenae Dudley, who plans to take 3,000 kids and chaperones to this event.

“Kids who have never been near the water come to love nature and adventure along the Huron River,” says Dudley, PhD educator who became a kayaking enthusiast thanks to the rangers and administrators at River Raisin. With patience and loads of encouragement they helped kids from schools, churches and even a few gang members from a total of 30 different organizations to get outdoors and immerse themselves in its many resources.

So much to see and do that the youth exhaust themselves in wonderment, Dudley says. Half the group goes out in the water for kayaking and the other half conduct ecology experiments with microscopes and computers to identify micro-organisms. Outside the group sees turtles, cranes, and fish flapping about. They are surrounded by trees, amused by the trilling birds.

Some students do well enough at guiding peers and identifying wildlife they become rangers themselves, paid through the National Park Service. Some help other kids navigate kayaks through troubling waters. If a kayak flips, they are first to rescue.

“Our kids find incredible opportunities in Monroe,” Dudley says. They learn about log roads that once shuttled ammunition, household goods and freight and carriages from Ohio to Fort Wayne.

Creating these opportunities takes a whole tribe of people in Monroe, Detroit and Michigan at large. the Michigan Department of Natural Resources provides a grant to get city kids involved in outdoor activities in state parks. Wayne County and the City of Detroit provides funds to train youth for summer jobs in the kayak program and to shuttle kids to and from the venue.

“Our staff drove teens who qualified for ranger jobs to Monroe and back so they could partake in the training exercises,” Dudley says, noting it was the only way to assure kids participating had promotional opportunities equal to those kids who live near the national park.

“We also hosted diversity training so the young rangers from Monroe came to Detroit to participate with urban kids in exercises to understand one another. They became a team together,” she says.

Dealing with parents also became an issue. They wanted to know how deep the water the kids would paddle through (up to 50 feet in sections) if each child would a safety vest (yes) and if all would get safety instructions (yes.) Soon there was a waiting list of kids and parents who wanted to join the excursion. With all the interest, kids are limited to one day a year.

Beyond the river experience, some students find a heightened interest in ecology. Some have found jobs with kayak rentals on Belle Isle and nearly all talked up the splendor of the experience.

For more information on Rally on the River, visit https://battlefieldfoundation.org/rally-on-the-river-raisin-2/

For more information on the Youth Connection of Detroit, visit https://www.theyouthconnection.org/

  Detroit Youth Connection, Huron River, River Raisin National Battlefield