minneapolis chapter
Minneapolis now has a fully functioning Urban Wilderness team in place. Our chapter currently partners with 17 schools across the Twin Cities metro area and will be with 36 for the 2026-27 school year. In a region defined by lakes and waterways, boatbuilding is a natural extension of learning in local classrooms.
meet our Team
Abby Auran
Alex Kahn
Phil Winger
Maria Petrova
This dedicated team works together to bring Urban Wilderness programming to the Twin Cities. Abby, the Minneapolis Lead, and Alex travel to schools to guide students through the boatbuilding process. Phil and Maria work behind the scenes, supporting canoe-kit milling and coordinating material drop-offs to schools.
Partnership & Schools
Through a partnership with the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE), Urban Wilderness has brought hands-on outdoor education and boatbuilding programming to schools across the Twin Cities metro area for the past two years. CSCOE supports numerous preschool through 8th grade Catholic schools by providing funding, training, and resources, helping expand access to meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students. Through this partnership, our chapter has had the opportunity to work with the following schools:
schools
Annunciation Catholic School
Holy Redeemer School (Marshall)
Notre Dame Academy
Our Lady of Grace School (Edina)
Saint Therese Catholic School
Shakopee Area Catholic School
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
St. John the Baptist Catholic School (Savage)
St. John’s School of Little Canada
St. Joseph Catholic School (Waconia)
St. Joseph’s School (West St. Paul)
St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School
St. Mary’s School (Bird Island)
St. Michael Catholic School
St. Peter Claver Catholic School
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School (Roseville)
St. Wenceslaus Catholic School (New Prague)
Interested in working with us?
inquire below.
help us reach more students
Your support helps expand hands-on boatbuilding and outdoor education opportunities for students across the Twin Cities through our Minneapolis Chapter.
