Minneapolis teacher paddles 1,000 miles on the Mississippi to raise funds for students after Operation Metro Surge

Minneapolis resident Tyler Sassaman is a reading teacher at Prairie Seeds Academy in nearby Brooklyn Park. He plans to paddle 1,000 miles down the Mississippi River, from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Hannibal, Missouri. He is raising funds for canoeing field trips for his students, many of whom are Hmong and traumatised by Operation Metro Surge. He has raised $15,000+ already towards his $20,000 goal.

GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/0042ef9ff

“With the massive Metro Surge ICE operation, many of my students, all legal US citizens, lived in fear,” says Sassaman.“Raids were conducted near the school, resulting in what we call a Soft Lockdown, and as a result, many families stayed home, sheltering in place. As we know, staying indoors and not being able to process their experiences with others is tough on kids.”

Tyler is an experienced paddler and was an Outward Bound instructor for years before becoming a teacher. “The goal is to get kids outdoors where they feel safe and can start healing from that trauma. Back to connecting with curiosity and discovery, through challenge and the restorative power of nature.

“The money will fund environmental education-based field trips, overnight camping experiences, and multi-week expeditions in the summer through Outward Bound in the Boundary Waters.”

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584406991824