2025 Paddlesports Leadership Academy

The Paddlesports Leadership Academy (PLA) is back for 2025! The PLA provides participants with the opportunity to develop paddlesport skills necessary to be outdoor recreation leaders in their communities and provide representation in paddlesports through a focus on the development of leaders from historically underrepresented and excluded identities. The curriculum takes on a multidisciplinary approach and provides training in kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboarding, covering rescues, risk management, and technical paddling skills. Additionally, this program focuses on mentorship, relationship building and providing graduates opportunities to continue to grow and evolve as leaders on the water. A core component of the academy will be the incubation of group culture that helps participants learn, play, and grow their technical and leadership skills, develop networks and community.

The 4-day course, put on by Anna Levesque with Mind Body Paddle, Gerry Seavo James with the Outdoor Recreation Design Lab and George and Zenovia Stephens with Black Kids Adventures, will include daily on-water instruction, lodging, transportation, food, and a modest travel reimbursement at no cost to participants. 

Priority will be given to regional applicants within the service area of the Tennessee RiverLine in the Tennessee River Valley.

 

If you have any questions about the program, or just want more information please reach out to Lizzy Gardner at lizzy@tnriverline.org

Resources

Logistics:

When: Thursday, June 12, 2025 - Sunday, June 15, 2025

Where: Participants and Instructors will be housed at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and field work during the day will be primarily at Island Home Park.

  • Island Home Park
    2225 Estelle Circle
    Knoxville, TN 37920

Curriculum:

  • Program Overview

    • The program overview provides packing and general itinerary information, as well as program details helpful for participants to understand more about the PLA! Keep in mind the program overview is a general understanding of daily activities and is subject to change.

  • Community Paddlesports Leader Curriculum

    • CPL) certification courses explore and develop solutions to “big picture” paddling challenges including venue selection, group management, participant competency, and rescues across a variety of paddlecraft. These non-discipline specific courses train leaders that engage with the broader paddling community to provide safe, fun, paddling experiences at the entry level.

  • Paddlesports Safety Facilitator Curriculum

    • (PSF) certification program teaches basic safety and paddling knowledge, as well as simple rescue skills for canoe, kayak, and SUP. The training for this certification includes a base knowledge module (non-craft specific) plus three complementary modules that focus specifically on canoeing, kayaking, and stand up paddling (SUP). This certification allows the facilitator to introduce paddlecraft safety and knowledge to the beginner paddler in a land-based setting.

PLA is put on in partnership with:

Outdoor Recreation Design Lab