Jonas Minton Kids & Kayaks Scholarship Fund

In this season of giving, please consider a contribution to the "Jonas Minton Kids & Kayaks Scholarship Fund."

This fund honors Jonas' playful spirit, passion for kayaking, love of kids, and long-standing environmental advocacy. It also reflects Julie's desire to reach children from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds. Contributing to this fund is one of the many ways we can keep Jonas' spirit alive on the river for generations to come.

ABOUT THE FUND:

The fund will provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth to experience the joy and awe of the river – experiences that connect so many of us in the river community.

Imagine the possibilities: for one child, the river might provide that needed fork in a road paved with seemingly unsurmountable challenges. Perhaps another follows Jonas' footsteps by becoming a river advocate and activist.

At a minimum, all these kids will share experiences they might otherwise not have access to: the exhilaration, connectedness, and respect for nature that come from an intimate immersion with the river.

BENEFICIARIES:

Two youth kayaking and advocacy programs have been chosen as the beneficiaries of Jonas’ scholarship program:

1) RIOS TO RIVERS

Ríos to Rivers inspires the protection of rivers worldwide by investing in underserved and indigenous youth, supporting them to become the next generation of environmental stewards.

Paddle Tribal Waters Project The largest dam removal project in history is slated to begin on the Klamath River in 2023. Through 'Paddle Tribal Waters', indigenous youth are preparing to become the first people to paddle the restored river from source-to-sea, reconnecting sections of the Klamath that have not flowed freely for more than a century. Young paddlers will use kayaking to galvanize a movement while reconciling a stolen history and building a future of hope and healing.

Kayakimün Project Indigenous women in Chile’s BioBío River Basin will develop youth in tribal communities to learn river navigation, leadership and advocacy skills to defend against dam projects that harm the global environment and traditional cultures. Youth alumni from the Kayakimün project will then travel to the US to join their Paddle Tribal Water peers in making the first descent of the Klamath River.

Their combined first descent will not only help bring the celebration of the removal of the dams to an international level, but it will also allow the students from the Biobio to pose the question publicly: Why are we removing dams on one side of the world while we continue to build them on the other side of the world?

2. Current Adventures Kids and Teens Kayaking Camps

Current Adventures offers five-day kayaking camps on Jonas’ local playground, the South Fork of the American River. Kids and teens learn essentials such as river skills, safety, team building, river awareness and etiquette. Equally important, they get acquainted with nature and often develop an appreciation for the river that can translate to a lifelong passion – as many of us who were introduced to the river early in our lives can attest. To ensure youth from diverse backgrounds get to experience the joys of the river, Current Adventures will utilize its outreach program with Greater Sacramento Parks & Rec. Full or partial scholarships will be offered to children who need financial assistance.

Jonas’ collection of (10!) kayaks has been donated to Current Adventures for use in its kids’ programs. His kayaks will be utilized directly in camps, given to kids who later pass them along to other kids in a Pay-It-Forward arrangement, or sold, with the proceeds benefiting Jonas’ Scholarship Fund.

WAYS TO DONATE:

Donations may be made directly through this Gofundme site. If you prefer to use a Donor Advisory Fund or otherwise need your contribution to be tax deductible, please contact us through this site (a contact button is below.)

Got a kayak, raft, or paddling gear hanging around that you'd like to 're-home' in honor of Jonas? Get in touch, and we'll get that gear off your hands pronto! (after the holidays, most likely.)

HOW WILL YOUR DONATION BE USED?

Members of a Selection Committee designated by Julie Carrasco-Minton will determine how best to allocate the funds among the two beneficiaries. If you would like to earmark your contribution to one or the other, please make a note when donating or send us a message thru this site.

Depending upon the amount of money raised, all scholarships may be awarded within 2023, or they may be spread out over multiple years.

THANK YOU so much for your generous support. Please help spread the word. Through our collective giving, we hope to honor Jonas by sparking in our youth an avid interest in rivers & the environment.

We need to help develop more advocates like Jonas!