Build & Sail
Students in our afterschool and summertime programs usually start with little or no boating experience. In the course of a single year, students learn to use shop equipment to build a traditional wooden row boat or sailboat from scratch. When finished, the students use the boats to learn to sail, row and race with the expert help of our talented in-shop and on-water staff.
Learning to build and sail a boat is both fun and challenging. Students work together to build community, teamwork skills, and ultimately self–efficacy, the belief in one’s own abilities. One of our students put it this way:
“The way I feel about this program is that its one of the best opportunities I’ve got in my life so far. This place gives you so much more than just building boats. Even though I learned new carpentry skills, I still learned other things like motivation to do good at anything, because each day I feel more better about myself because I know I completed something at the shop.”
At a Glance
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SynopsisAfter-school boatbuilding, rowing and sailing programObjectiveTo address the physical and emotional health of pre-teen and teenage students who are most in need of supportStart DateOngoing Year-RoundDuration3-week fall semester; 13-week spring semester; six-week summer semesterFrequencyFall & Spring: Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday 4 hours/day
Summer: Daily Monday – Friday 10 – 3pmProgram hours per student254