A group of high schoolers from diverse backgrounds gathered at YMCA Camp Ihduhapi in Loretto, Minnesota for the SPARKS (Student Peer Adventure and Recreation Knowledge Specialists) Spring Leadership Retreat, where they honed their wilderness skills and developed leadership qualities.

The SPARKS program serves students from low-income and underrepresented communities who might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore the outdoors.

"We do primarily serve the underserved population to increase access and equity in the outdoors," said Izzie Smith, SPARKS Twin-Cities Education Program Manager.

This program helps them guide their peers this summer in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).

This program, which is valued at approximately $2,000 dollars per student, is made possib

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