US Sailing awards Reach Hub grants

Sailing centers in the Southern California and Midwest regions have been awarded Reach Hub grants to grow youth sailing through STEM and environmental education as part of 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 Reach Program utilizes sailing as an educational platform, challenging youth to embrace education, establish a love of learning and explore productive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) based careers. Combining educators, sailing instructors, engineers, scientists with today’s youth to provide them with a one of a kind authentic learning experience, giving students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a cooperative work environment.

The 2020 recipients are Mission Bay Aquatic Center, US Sailing Center Long Beach, Newport Sea Base, Orange Coast College School of Sailing & Seamanship, Westwind Sailing, and Columbia Sailing School.

Now more than ever, youth are seeking places to explore their local ecosystems, engage in hands-on learning experiences after a spring of virtual learning, and get to know one another in a safe, fun environment. This is especially the case for those who typically may not have access or awareness to these opportunities.

The Reach Hubs are regional networks of programs 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 in specific regions. This national network maximizes the impact of creating systemic change in STEM education through the sport of sailing.

The program began in 2015 by establishing the first Reach Hub in the Northeast. Since then, Hubs have been created in the Mid-Atlantic, Southern California, and our newest area, the Midwest. Hubs typically undergo a third-party Program Quality Assessment and meet twice a year for professional development. Due to travel limitations this year, the Southern California Hub will postpone its third (and final) year of program quality assessment and meet virtually this fall to debrief programming and share resources. The Midwest Hub will also meet virtually this fall to continue their development.

The following programs were selected for 2020 US Sailing Reach Hub grants. These grants were made possible by support from Rolex and US Sailing donors.

Mission Bay Aquatic Center (San Diego, Calif.) (STEM Center of Excellence)
Associated Students of San Diego State University – Mission Bay Aquatic Center strives to provide access to the best water sports experiences in a safe, fun, and sustainable environment. Mission Bay Aquatic Center has been a part of the Reach Initiative since 2017 and through the program they have impacted 8,879 students, trained 29 staff members to be Reach Educators, and begun 18 new partnerships. They partner with area schools and youth programs as a resource for outdoor education and to create opportunities for STEM and environmental education in the community.

The center serves as a place for bringing large numbers of new students from all walks of life to the sport of sailing. They have truly enjoyed helping create the positive outcomes and impact of the Reach Initiative and look forward to continuing as the 2020 Reach Center of Excellence in Southern California. Learn more about the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.

US Sailing Center Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
Pacific Coast Sailing Foundation – US Sailing Center Long Beach promotes and enhances boating and sailing education and safety from learn-to-sail through Olympic-class competitive sailing. They have offered Reach programming since 2014 in their summer sailing camps and one-day high school sailing experiences, impacting over 200 youth each year. They have been steadily growing their partners to include charter schools and a variety of youth service providers, and most notably Dramatic Results.

This partnership includes a multi-year relationship with students from six different schools. Students participate in a one-week Summer STEAM Institute (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). Additionally, students who participated in the program from previous years will be returning to continue their learning. Learn more about the US Sailing Center Long Beach.

Newport Sea Base (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America – The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. As they enter their second year as a Reach Center in the Southern California Hub, Newport Sea Base has implemented Reach with over 100 students and established five partnerships.

Modules are implemented in their year-round programs with the Junior Racing Team, Home School Sailing program, and Junior Sea Scouts. They explore an in-depth progression and learning experience with students participating in more than five modules. Newport Sea Base also integrates modules in their Journey to the Ocean program as a part of daily field trips with local schools. Learn more about Newport Sea Base.

Orange Coast College School (OCC) of Sailing & Seamanship (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Orange Coast College Foundation – The OCC School of Sailing & Seamanship delivers access and excellence in maritime education for OCC students and the public. They have been using the Reach curriculum since 2016 with more than 300 students participating in one or more Reach modules in 2019. Their Skill Development and Science Exploration program includes a week of camp and five modules for participants and all youth classes and camps include elements of Reach. Learn more about Orange Coast College School of Sailing & Seamanship.

Westwind Sailing (Dana Point, Calif.)
Dana Point Aquatic Foundation – Westwind Sailing’s mission is to provide community sailing and boating safety education which inspires responsibility for the aquatic environment; to promote overall health and wellness through sailing and boating instruction; and to create an atmosphere that is safe, fun and encourages personal success.

For the past six years they have worked with community partners to offer a spring and fall afterschool Sail into Science program. Fifty underserved youth receive six weeks of programming over the course of the spring and fall at little or no charge. Westwind also incorporates Reach modules during the spring and summer youth sailing camp to approximately 250 youth. Learn more about Westwind Sailing.

Columbia Sailing School (Chicago, Ill.) (STEM Center of Excellence)
The Columbia Sailing School program has grown from partnering with three organizations and less than 100 students just a few years ago to working with more than eight organizations and over 500 students. They are thrilled at the growth of their Reach programming and the impact it has on students from the under-resourced areas of Chicago.

Ninety percent of students who live within one mile of Lake Michigan have never seen it. Columbia Sailing School works hard to support students in realizing their potential and provides them exposure to experiences outside their neighborhoods and offers mentors as they explore their future. Learn more about the Columbia Sailing School.

Click here to learn more about the US Sailing Reach Initiative and for information on how you can get involved.

US Sailing Reach Contact: Jen Guimaraes, jenguimaraes@ussailing.org

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

Source: US Sailing Communications, Jake Fish, communications@ussailing.org