River Awareness for Tenth Graders (RAFT) 2024

Recently, students got the opportunity to raft down the Chattahoochee River and explore the West Palisades trail in the Chattahoochee Recreational National Park Area. This rafting trip, along with an environmental awareness hike, is part of the River Awareness for Tenth Graders program (RAFT) that trip leader, Jim Crowley, looks forward to taking sophomores on every year.

According to Jim, "RAFT is a combination of SING and JOE, which are all wrapped into an urban experience. Like SING, students give back to their community by removing trash from Rottenwood Creek. Like JOE, students hike through natural areas and interact with each other and the natural elements of the outdoors. Time together and outdoors, it is hoped, raises a greater appreciation of classmates, parklands, and the Chattahoochee River. As the trip leader, I wish students to walk away with an immersive experience that provides them with time with friends and nature in a safe setting. In the future, I hope students grow to appreciate that urban spaces are not just about people and that when a diversity of life and place thrive, so do we as a community."

Check out the video from the latest trip!