NWT - The Mackenzie River will be a flowing classroom and a setting for adventure-based learning over the next two weeks.

Ten students and two instructors are paddling close to 500 km from Fort Simpson to Tulita as part of the Mackenzie Youth Leadership Trip. This is the fourth year of the program that challenges participants to build their self-esteem and self-reliance while visiting new communities and having fun, said Wendy Lahey, one of the instructors.

Ten students from Fort Liard, Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope will be spending more than two weeks together as they paddle the Mackenzie River. Participants in the Mackenzie Youth Leadership Trip include from left, front row: Briana Kotchea, Tyrone Stipdonk, Jordan Villeneuve, instructor Wendy Lahey and Jordan Drybones; middle row: Tyson McLeod, Brad Kelly and Cameron Boniface; back row: instructor Mike Mitchell, Stella Rabisca, Rosa Grandjambe and Cody McNelly. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Every year students are chosen from one Deh Cho and one Sahtu community for the journey. This year's group includes two students from Fort Liard, six from Fort Good Hope and two from Fort Simpson. The NWT Recreation and Parks Association runs the program.

The group launched their bright yellow canoes into the Mackenzie at Fort Simpson on June 15 and is scheduled to reach Tulita on July 1 in time to celebrate Canada Day. Along the way students will be learning about themselves and community development, Lahey said.

"We have a small community here and we're learning how to rely on each other," she said.

Every day the students will paddle approximately 35 km of river and will also learn a variety of skills including map, compass and GPS navigation, fire building and camp safety as well as plant and bird identification, Lahey said. The students will also earn two canoe certifications, career and technology studies credits and physical education credits by the end of the trip.

To develop leadership skills, a different participant will be the leader every day. They will help make decisions including when to stop for snacks and lunch, where to camp and what route to follow. All of the other students will also have assigned duties including cooking, washing dishes and setting up camp, Lahey said.

In spite of the rain that fell during their preparation days in Fort Simpson, the students were enthusiastic about the trip.

"I'm excited," said Briana Kotchea, one of the participants from Fort Liard.

Kotchea, who has only done a little canoe paddling and has never travelled on the Mackenzie River before, said she was looking forward to a lot of firsts on the trip. Kotchea, 16, expected trip highlights to include "being on the land," "having fun" and celebrating Aboriginal Day and Canada Day in other communities.

Jordan Drybones, 16, of Fort Good Hope was equally excited about the new experiences the trip would bring.

"You get to be on the land, see new landscapes you've never been to," he said.

Drybones, who has canoed from his community to Tsiigehtchic on a previous trip, said he was looking forward to being on a different part of the Mackenzie, seeing some wildlife and meeting new people.

"I'm just looking forward to making it so I can say I went this far," Drybones said.