This year, 28 sailing centers throughout the United Sates are awarded grants to grow youth sailing through STEM and environmental education through the US Sailing Reach Initiative. The grants provide non-profit sailing centers with funds and resources to further their Reach program goals and provide more opportunities for students in their community. The grant program includes support in the following areas: educational resources, youth engagement and the multi-year Hub Program. The grant recipients are able to grow programs, build educational resources, and expand the learning for youth who would typically may not have access to their waterfront or hands-on experiences that enhance learning retention and application. Training is also provided for sailing instructors and teachers.
It is our pleasure to acknowledge the following programs as recipients of 2018 US Sailing Reach grants. These grants were made possible by support from 11th Hour Racing, Rolex, and US Sailing donors.
2018 Reach National Hub Initiative Grants
The Hub Grants aim to strategically expand the national network of regional Reach ‘Hubs’ led by ‘Centers of Excellence’ (COE) that serve as a model of best practices and share learning resources with surrounding ‘Reach Centers’ and ‘REACH Programs’. The goal of the program is to maximize the impact of creating systemic change in STEM education. US Sailing is excited to foster new Reach Hub programs and resources to actively “normalize” STEM education and environmental literacy.
Southern California
Mission Bay Aquatic Center (STEM COE) – Associated Students of San Diego State University – Mission Bay Aquatic Center strives to provide the access to the best water sports experiences in a safe, fun, and sustainable environment. Mission Bay Aquatic Center is a primary gateway for youth and adults from all walks of life to become a sailor. Over decades we have literally introduced the sport of sailing to tens of thousands of students. Our embrace of Reach and shift in culture has added value to our sailing program and we hope to work with the Reach Initiative to continue to develop and refine our STEM based programming. We believe that we can teach and inspire other programs to look at Reach as a means to expand their communities and bring more people to the sport of sailing.
Life Sail, Inc – LifeSail provides under-served and at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area with programming to develop self-confidence and improve social skills in a recreational setting of sailing and boat building that encourages hands-on, real world explorations of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and environmental stewardship. Our goal—as a Community Sailing Center—is to provide participants with the tools and resources necessary to improve STEM content knowledge, strengthen communication skills, and make positive life choices through the character-building discipline of sailing and seamanship. Our strategy, as an accredited West Coast provider of US Sailing’s Reach/STEM Initiative, is based on the time-tested methods of inspiring youth by using nature as an instructor, adventure as a motivator, and mentoring as a lifeline.
USSC Long Beach/ Pacific Coast Sailing Foundation – Pacific Coast Sailing Foundation’s mission is to promote and enhance boating and sailing education and safety from beginning learn to sail through Olympic level competitive sailing. To provide top quality facilities and equipment as well as state of the art administrative and educational tools, techniques and personnel to support and improve the sport. We have a particular emphasis on Sailing for At-Risk Youth, Persons with Disabilities, High School & College Students, Competitive Youth and the General Public.
Westwind Sailing/Dana Point Aquatic Foundation -WestWind Sailing’s mission is to provide community sailing & boating safety education which inspires responsibility for the aquatic environment; to promote overall health and wellness through sailing & boating instruction; and to create an atmosphere that is safe, fun and encourages personal success.
Emerging STEM Center of Excellence
Columbia Sailing School/ Columbia Yacht Club – Columbia Sailing School – Shaping stewards for our waters. Columbia Sailing School began implementing the Reach curriculum last year in their Adventure Kids Camp, as well as with hosting “STEM nights” with several schools that host events at their facility. Since receiving their non-profit designation at the beginning of 2017 and they are now able to accept donations, we anticipate that the number of students we will be able to reach will grow alongside our fundraising campaigns.
Mid- Atlantic
Downtown Sailing Center (STEM COE) – The Downtown Sailing Center provides quality education and life enriching programs that promote self-esteem and teamwork through the joy of sailing. The Downtown Sailing Center is committed to promoting an environment of inclusiveness and accessibility, especially to youth, persons with disabilities, and those with limited opportunity.
Hudson River Community Sailing – Hudson River Community Sailing develops leadership and academic success in underserved NYC youth, and provides sailing education and recreation to the community at large.
Sail Nauticus – Sail Nauticus strives to impact the academic and leadership achievement of Hampton Roads youth through sailing and maritime science.
SUNY Maritime College Waterfront – The mission of the Maritime College Waterfront is to develop leaders and produce champions, individuals who reach their full potential, on the water and in life. This is accomplished by providing water related (i.e. sailing, crew, power boating, kayaking, swimming, SCUBA diving, marine environmental science) learning opportunities for coaches, instructors, students and the community that they might not otherwise experience. Offering these activities in a safe, fun learning environment will maximize the opportunity for individual growth including self-confidence, communication, teamwork, leadership and respect for themselves, others and the natural environment.
2018 Youth Engagement Grants
Reach Youth Engagement grants have been made available to provide financial support for materials, transportation costs, and offsetting staff costs when implementing the Reach initiative. Transportation is one of the largest barriers for schools interested in participating in this program, with this grant that barrier is eliminated and students can document their success in a Reach Logbook/Portfolio which is also provided.
Community Boating New Bedford – The Community Boating Center of New Bedford strives to teach positive life values to youth through boating. In 2013, Community Boating Center (CBC) launched Reach programming with four independent and charter schools in New Bedford which served roughly 100 students each semester. In 2016, programming grew to reach more students in the public schools. CBC has been incremental building their capacity by training instructors and building kits for each Reach module. Last summer (2017), CBC incorporated a class called “Science & Sailing” to our Summer Youth
Sailing Program.
Community Sailing of Colorado – Community Sailing of Colorado strives to make sailing in Colorado accessible to all. Teach Skills, Build confidence and have fun! In 2018, they would like to have a 100% participation rate in up to 5 Reach modules at our Cherry Creek Reservoir location. This location serves over 350 youth each season through their summer camps with another approximate 150 students through group partner outings totaling over 500 youth. These group partners, which include many schools and other nonprofits who serve youth, are whom this grant will directly impact.
Community Sailing School @Pistakee – The Community Sailing School at Pistakee’s purpose is to conduct and deliver educational programs focused on sailing, the nautical arts, science, technology, engineering, math, conservation and ecology. The Community Sailing School at Pistakee’s mission is to serve the Chain of Lake area as a Regional Learning Center. The Community Sailing School @Pistakee has been a STEM pioneer for the past 5 years. They have taught STEM concepts and modules during our summer Learn to Sail classes and to junior and senior high schools during Spring and Fall classes. Since their initial STEM program started in the very first year of the Community Sailing School @Pistakee, they have impacted over 300 youth through their STEM @Pistakee program with their “floating classroom on Pistakee Bay.”
Minneapolis Sailing Center – The mission of the Minneapolis Sailing Center is to teach sailing to all in a fun and supportive environment and foster a vibrant sailing community in the City of Lakes. Last year they taught 669 youth and 274 adults through our programs. STEM ideas, the foundation for Reach have already been largely implemented throughout how they teach and instruct sailing. In addition to their expansive standard programing, they have a history of partnering with local urban non-profits that serve diverse youth including but not limited to, the Minneapolis public schools, the Minneapolis Police Activities League, the Minneapolis Park Board, among others. This coming summer, they are adding a partnership with the GEMS and GISE program to further focus their goals of integrating STEM into sailing curriculum to a diverse youth population.
Rochester Sailing & Boating Foundation – Rochester Sailing & Boating Foundation strives to make the joy of sailing and boating accessible to the Rochester Community regardless of income, ability by providing affordable access to quality programs and events. They work closely with Rochester city and suburban schools including the Sea Scouts and Boy Scouts. They have been teaching Reach classes for a few years now with hopes of continuing their growth.
Sailing Center Chesapeake – The Sailing Center strives to further the sport, science and art of sailing through instruction, environmental education and competition. They connect Southern Maryland’s community with the water emphasizing stewardship of the bay, training and safe boating. Sailing Center Chesapeake plans on enrolling up to 50 middle school students for after-school STEM REACH. Initial number of youth impacted will be 30 middle school students; upon successful roll-out of the pilot program they anticipate an incremental growth each year based on number of schools added and SCC capacity.
SailMaine – SailMaine’s mission is to provide affordable access to the water through community sailing and educational programming. This winter they have been working hard to expand their STEM program and create partnerships with local middle schools in Portland and South Portland. They have commitments from two schools for this spring: Lincoln Middle School plans to use Reach modules in the classroom with our their before bringing 160 8th grade students to their site over the course of a few weeks in June, and they will be helping teachers use the curriculum at the East End School before bringing 15 5th graders to their site.
Wayzata Sailing Foundation – Wayzata Sailing foundation strives to prove that sailing for everyone! With a focus on community and lifelong learning through the sport of sailing. In 2015/2016 we began integrating STEM and REACH modules into our camp programming which still continues. In 2017 we created a standalone class for STEM/REACH that runs half days, primarily running REACH programming. 2018 we will be adding a new partnership course (Lake Learning Collaborative) with the YMCA, Science Museum of MN, local public schools and a few outreach partners. This will include some REACH programming, but will mainly focus on freshwater AIS and other STEM offerings.
Youth Sailing Virginia – Youth Sailing Virginia’s mission is to develop a vibrant Youth Sailing Program that serves the greater Hampton Roads area and involves a broad spectrum of the community in both support and participation. Youth Sailing Virginia, Inc. anticipates approximately 135 students from the YMCA/Fort Monroe, City of Hampton Parks and Recreation, and the public at large over the course of the 2018 summer Learn-to-Sail Program. Summer 2018 will launch our “first” REACH programing thanks to the City of Hampton and the Fort Monroe Authority and is the ideal setting for teaching young sailors. Since 2014, through grass root efforts, YSV has hosted high school sailing practices for four area teams, multiple regattas as well as team racing series. YSV has successfully hosted multiple championships for the Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association (MASSA) bringing teams from New York, New Jersey, Maryland and D.C. that will offer summer sailors the opportunity to compete on the High School level as early as a rising seventh grader.
Orange Coast College School of Sailing & Seamanship – The OCC School of Sailing & Seamanship strives to deliver access and excellence in maritime education for OCC students and the public. They have utilized several Reach modules in their summer sailing camps and more than 200 youth ages 7
to 17 have enjoyed hands-on science as well as sailing since 2016. Students enjoyed collecting water
samples to learn about water quality, salinity, pollution and the effects of urban runoff, and building clay
boats to understand buoyancy. Other topics have included weather and measurement. The students
measured sails using traditional and their own units of measurements including flip flops. They have
conducted only a couple of Reach only camps which we hope to improve on this year.
2018 Educational Resource Grants
Reach Educational Resources grants have been made available to provide support for sailing centers looking to begin or improve their STEM and environmental education programming through the Reach Initiative. This area of need was identified through the Reach mentoring sessions and educator surveys. The grant provides each organization with professional development for their staff to learn about the the curriculum and implementation as well materials for programmatic supplies.
Racine Yacht Club Youth Foundation – The vision of the Racine Yacht Club Youth Foundation (RYCYF) in cooperation with local youth based agencies of Racine County is to develop a comprehensive and sustainable water sport and safety program ages 5-18. Their work with Racine County youth will be guided by these fundamental elements:
- Inclusiveness
- Opportunity to learn skills for life and responsibility through fun activities
- Safety in and around the water
- Leadership and teamwork
- Exposure to Lake Michigan
- Building confidence
- High quality and safe equipment
- STEM Educational and Clean Marina Program Initiatives
California State University Northridge Aquatic Center at Castaic Lake – CSUN Aquatic Center’s mission is to provide program participants with the basic skills needed to be safe in, on or around the water. The CSUN Aquatic Center currently collaborates with various youth groups throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The majority of these youth groups are associated with organizations that serve under-resourced, minority, urban impact populations. Organizations include: 20+ LA City Recreation Centers, CSUN organizations (Sunny Days camp, Dept. of Rec, Dept of ED, Outdoor Adventures, etc) Castaic Unified School District, City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita, ARC Outdoor Adventure, FULCRUM Learning Systems, Cal Poly Pomona Outdoor Adventures, Ruth Youthbuild, Youth Institute Policy, other after school programs, and various summer camps in the surrounding area.
Community Boating Center – The Community Boating Center’s core mission is to provide instruction and access to recreational sailing and boating for all, with an emphasis on children, without regard to financial station. Community Boating Center was the first designated Reach “Center of Excellence” by US Sailing. Each year over 2,000 youth experience Reach through after-school, summer and one day programs.
Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center – Their mission is to encourage and celebrate the responsible use and long term stewardship of Lake Champlain by fostering educational and recreational opportunities for all members of our community. Through their Floating Classrooms program, 900 4th and 5th grade students in the Burlington School District and nearby Chittenden County schools will participate in Reach modules. Each class of students will learn the modules over a series of visits throughout the school year in spring, fall, and winter. In 2018, 4th graders will learn Module 1, and 5th graders will learn Modules 5 and 6. Approximately 50 additional youth participants will learn Module 4 through our youth development Leader Ship program, which includes one-time visit programs and afterschool “expanded learning” programs that occur during the spring, summer, and fall.
The WaterFront Center – The WaterFront Center’s mission is to connect people to the water through education and recreation. The WaterFront Center (WFC) of Oyster Bay has been offering sailing and marine science programs since its inception in 2001. WFC began implementing Reach curriculum when we launched STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) in the fall of 2013 in partnership with St. Dominic Elementary School. They continue STEM education with St. Dominic’s Elementary our biggest partner, along with other new schools that have come to us this year. Additionally, we integrate STEM into our school-break, after-school, and summer programs – thereby reaching hundreds of students each year. They strive to implement REACH modules and lessons into as many programs and facets as possible.
New England Science & Sailing – New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is an ocean adventure nonprofit that provides STEM-based education programs, on and off the water, for students from all walks of life. NESS uses sailing, marine science, powerboating, and adventure sports as teaching platforms. They engage everyone in experiential learning that builds confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills vital to their futures. Over 1,500 students will participate in Reach programming at NESS this year. NESS works with students year-round using Reach modules to provide high-quality, ocean adventure, STEM-based educational programs. Last year, NESS taught over 8,500 students at our locations including Stonington and New London, CT, and through travel programs to schools. NESS implemented Reach modules in many of these programs. The work with the following youth organizations and partners to engage youth in relation to Reach: NESS is a preferred partner of the New London Public Schools, and partners with SeaPerch, NEOAN, NURTEC, UConn, Avery Point, Ocean Beach Park, NERACOOS, Rozalia Project, The Nature Conservancy, Block Island Maritime Institute, USCGA, and many others to implement Reach modules.
Congratulations to all the 2018 US Sailing Reach Initiative grant recipients.