6th Graders on Quest to Discover the River

1,500 converge to learn more about the St. Louis River.

DULUTH, Minn.  Sixth graders from across the region had a chance to find out what the water in our area is all about.

Its official title is ‘2023 St. Louis River Quest.’ As a practical matter, it teaches fifteen hundred sixth graders about Lake Superior, the harbor, the St. Louis River, and everything connected with those waters. The kids learn about everything from hydropower to stream sedimentation.

Many of the learning stations teach the students about things they may have driven-by, but never really understood or knew about.

“It’s kind of sad to say, but a lot of times there’s a lot of people that grow up in and around this area, and they’ve never been out on the water,” said River Quest Coordinator, Beth Ruark. “That’s the big thing that is happening for all the kids. And, just having the opportunity to see leaders in industry and in different agencies, and to get a chance to learn about where they live,” said Ruark.

All the wisdom is shared with the students by volunteers from related businesses, non-profits and government agencies. They all offer their time to explain aspects of their particular specialty to the kids. As part of their water travels, the students carry River Quest passports to follow their journey. The program started thirty years ago, and twenty-six thousand students have been part of it.