About Us

The Program:

classroom on the lake.

World Class Kayak Academy is a traveling high school for students that want to earn their education while exploring unique rivers and cultures around the world. WCKA takes pride in being the first program to offer an exceptional education to student-athletes using whitewater kayaking as a vehicle to instill life lessons, build confidence, and hone skills.

World Class is based in Trout Lake, WA, right in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge where every school year begins and ends. At the end of August, faculty and students arrive for staff training, orientation, and safety classes. After the first week of school, the program leaves Washington for the East Coast where we visit rivers and locations such as the Ottawa, Lachine, Gauley, and Green. While traveling, students maintain typical school hours, and students take SAT exams at designated test centers along the way. By mid-October, the program heads for a warmer climate (07′ Africa, 08′ Mexico, 09′ Peru) where it will remain until mid-December. When finals and semester-end projects are completed, everyone returns home for winter break.

Spring semester at WCKA begins with a rendezvous back at an international airport. From this hub everyone will fly to the foreign destination chosen for the first half of the semester (08’ Chile, 09′ China, 10′ Chile). Upon arriving at the chosen country, new students are oriented to the program before starting normal classwork. Toward the end of March, the program returns to the U.S. for a tour of the West Coast and its ocean, classic rivers and competitions. The tour eventually leads the program back home to Washington for finals and graduation in May.

Orion writes down the schedule for the day

A Typical Day:
While there are few “typical” days at World Class compared to a traditional high school, there is always a tight schedule to make busy days more efficient. The daily routine will change depending on field trips, travel, and competitions, but students and staff usually adhere to a schedule like the one below.

6:00 AM – Workout
7:15 AM – Breakfast
8:00 AM – First Period
9:00 AM – Second Period
10:00 AM – Third Period
11:00 AM – Fourth Period
12:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – Fifth Period
2:00 PM – On Water Training
7:00 PM – Dinner
8:00 PM – Study Hall/Social Time