We at Iowa Rivers Revival are committed to diversity and inclusion at all levels in advancing our mission and vision across Iowa. That is why one of our core organizational values is equity. Equity in our work means being intentional about our programming, outreach, and advocacy efforts on these issues so we can fight for a world where all can access and enjoy our rivers and streams. We believe that every Iowan deserves a chance to share in that sense of adventure, and have life meaningfully improved by being outdoors and experiencing true belonging in the community of people who want to be connected to water and nature.
To that end, Iowa Rivers Revival (IRR) and the American Canoe Association (ACA) partnered in 2022 to provide an exclusive local opportunity for twelve historically marginalized individuals from across the country to develop community leadership through paddle sports, a program called the ACA Leadership Exploration and Development Initiative (LEAD) which was hosted in partnership with IRR at Jester Park Nature Center in October 2022. This one-of-a-kind experience empowered diverse leaders to go back into their communities, including as far as Florida, to better lead their members with paddle sports skills on canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. IRR is proud to partner with a national leader in paddle sports education programming like the ACA here in Iowa.