Sailing Full STEAM Ahead in LBC

K-12 STEAM education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Our founder, science teacher and sailor Jim Gladson, witnessed the positive effect that sailing had on his most challenging students. He said, “It's not just learning to sail, it's what you learn from sailing... Even the most successful teachers will tell you that while it is relatively simple to teach about problem-solving skills, it is very difficult to teach skillful problem solving even with bright, eager, enthusiastic students in well-equipped classrooms. And yet these learnings are commonplace, if not inevitable on-board sailing school vessels... Science, mathematics, physics, biology, geography, history, literature, and even poetry suddenly come to life in this real-world classroom.” Youth from under-resourced communities have limited access to such immersive educational experiences. Our program helps them develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to stay in school and become self-reliant, productive adults, while inspiring maritime or STEM-related career paths.

Every day, young people make discoveries about themselves, their abilities and the world around them through our TopSail Youth Program. Taking place dockside and aboard a tall ship, our crew guides the students in operating the complex vessel, which includes STEM lessons tailored to the group’s priorities. Hands-on activities such as navigation, securing lines, dissecting sea creatures, and testing water quality bring STEM subjects to life, create excitement around learning, strengthen their connection to others and nature, and help them develop valuable skills, such as critical thinking. Since only 5-10% of the youth we serve have been on a boat prior to participating, it also levels the playing field as they face their fears and try something new together. This funding will help us expand and grow the impact of our Long Beach division, the Children’s Maritime Institute (CMI). CMI was established in 2019 after we acquired American Pride, the official tall ship of the City of Long Beach. Following her untimely, official launch on March 13, 2020, we halted in-person programming, but we’re proud of our agile efforts to provide virtual education, a portion of which was conducted from American Pride in Rainbow Harbor. Since returning to in-person programming, we’ve been reconnecting with schools we’ve served in the area, while creating relationships with new schools and other potential partners. This includes informational sails for educators sponsored by the Port of Long Beach.

When upper elementary, middle and high school students from under-resourced communities are challenged intellectually, physically and emotionally in a supportive learning environment away from traditional settings, perspectives begin to change. Combined with an up close and personal view of the ocean, they start to realize that they’re part of something larger than themselves, which expands their view of the world and what they can achieve. The practical application of STEM concepts also creates “aha” moments for the students, deepening their understanding of these important subjects, which often inspires them to pursue a maritime or STEM-related fields. We’ve been working to re-establish the five-year strategic plan initiated just prior to the pandemic, which includes doubling the number of students served – 15,000 student sailing days annually by 2026. Growing our Long Beach division and our service area in southern LA County is a significant part of achieving that goal.

We see positive results on every sail – every time a participant decides to bravely climb aloft, gives a sail-handling command louder than they’ve ever yelled, steps in to show a friend how to properly belay a line, or shows emotions over the plastic in a bird’s gut. More often than not, the positive impact is longitudinal when students decide to pursue careers/vocations in maritime or STEM-related fields after sailing with us. Our many longstanding partnerships with returning schools and groups also demonstrate the positive impact that our program has had and continues to have each year. In addition, USC performed a controlled study in partnership with a middle school where 60 students were identified on a “drop out path.” Broken into three cohorts, one group was the control group and did not participate in our program. The other two cohorts sailed with us, and one year later, the researchers found that 100% of the students who participated continued on with their education.