World Class Kayak Academy (WCKA) is a high school program where students travel during the majority of the school year with a small faculty of teachers and coaches. A small enrollment gives World Class the advantage of mobility, enabling the school to educate its students while in search of classic rivers and educational opportunities around the world. From mid-October to mid-March the school travels abroad, studying and paddling in locations such as Mexico, Africa, China and Chile. Studying and paddling full time allows students the ability to pursue their loftiest whitewater kayaking goals while cultural immersion provides an educational perspective few schools can offer.

Operated out of its home base Crystal Springs, located along the Clark Fork River near the town of Alberton, Montana, WCKA thrives in places where rivers are a way of life. From the front door students can see the rapids of the Alberton Gorge, a terrific training ground offering numerous playspots and Class III whitewater throughout the year. Close proximity to the town of Alberton and Alberton High School, located several miles to the east along Interstate 90, provides WCKA access to a friendly Montana community and the resources of its parent school. Situated at the entrance of the gorge, the town is set between the Ninemile Divide and the Bitterroot Mountains and is encompassed by the Lolo National Forest. Alberton High School enrolls approximately 80 students annually, including those students attending WCKA.

25 miles further to the east is the city of Missoula, recognized as one of the top paddling towns in the nation. Home to the University of Montana, Missoula is also western Montana's regional center for education, business, culture, medical services, retail, and entertainment. With more than 70,000 residents, Missoula has features you would expect to find in a big city, but offers the comforts of a small town. Founded on the trade routes of the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot Rivers, Missoula is located in the Northern Rockies on the western watershed of the Continental Divide.