They will be happy to demonstrate tricks and techniques, and discuss different ways to perform advanced maneuvers. I trips almost every weekend during canoeing season, and almost all of them require only basic boat handling skills. These trips may get you so hooked that you decide to upgrade your skills and get out into that white frothy stuff. Then you're the perfect candidate for the next Spring School - or to ask trip leaders to start teaching you right away. In response to requests from many kayakers, the Spring School welcomes kayakers as well as open boaters, and kayakers can join any trips on the same terms as other boaters.
Most trips have a mixture of canoes and kayaks.
The trip leader will help you find a partner, and may even be able to recommend a more experienced paddler who can give you tips on technique along the way. However, it's your job to follow up the contact names the leader gives you, and be sure you HAVE a partner before you turn up at the put-in. In order to aid the trip leaders in finding you a partner, you should notify them as early as possible to give them time to match you up with someone. That depends on the trip, the trip leader, and the experience of the parent. If the parent is an accomplished paddler and can handle the boat well, then they can bring a less accomplished youth on the trip.