Venture Outdoors: Pennsylvania’s First ACA Pro Paddle School 

Venture Outdoors is excited to announce that we are officially Pennsylvania’s first American Canoe Association’s (ACA) Pro Paddle School. This milestone is a major move for our mission to inspire, educate, and equip by removing barriers to outdoor experiences. Our goal in becoming an ACA Pro Paddle School is to further inclusion and belonging in paddlesports throughout Pennsylvania. 

What does this mean for PA (current & wannabe) paddlers? Planned programs for the new Pro School include basic kayak skills and advanced safety & rescue certification and training programs that lend to career development. This year, we’ll focus our efforts on providing skill builder courses, ACA paddle certification pilot programs and building a cadre of instructors that represents an inclusive paddle program. Our ACA paddle certification programs will open to the general public in 2024, and will eventually include a mobile fleet to serve communities across the Commonwealth.  

Paddlesports provide immense benefits to physical and mental well-being as well as economic opportunity for individuals and communities. We look forward to helping Pennsylvanians experience those benefits on the Commonwealth’s extensive waterways.  

We are also currently working on the design and capital campaign for a floating kayak concession to be located on-water adjacent to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  The new facility will be complete in 2024 and will be the official home of the Pro School.   

Want to know more? Check out these great links: 

• Venture Outdoors ACA Pro School: ACA – Venture Outdoors 
• Kayak Pittsburgh: ACA Pro Schools – ACA (americancanoe.org) 
• ACA:  ACA Pro Schools – ACA (americancanoe.org) 

 Also, here is more information about the American Canoe Association (ACA)  

The American Canoe Association (ACA) was founded in 1880 and provides educational programs, supports stewardship initiatives that affect paddlers, and offers competition opportunities to athletes of all abilities. The ACA has over 15,000 members residing in all 50 states and 35+ countries worldwide.