~ Gearing up for a new season of sailing and boat building ~
Dozens of Milton Peters College (MPC) students have attended recent orientations organized by MPC and Kidz At Sea Foundation to get introduced to the sport of sailing. A new sailing season has kicked off and with that, Kidz At Sea’s recruitment of students for its sailing program and Build Your Future Project. The boatbuilding program commenced at the start of the new school year; and the sailing program has been signing up students who were keen after attending the recent orientations. Last Sunday, these students participated in the first keelboat race of the season with two boats.
The partnership between MPC and Kidz At Sea Foundation will be taken to the next level after last year’s successes in the sailing program and the completion of the sailboat Purple Heart, a Didi 26 sloop design racing boat – the first of its kind ever built in the Caribbean by students, teachers and volunteers without any previous boatbuilding experience.
This year, an even larger group of students has enrolled in the boatbuilding project, twice as many compared to last year. In this program, emphasis will be placed on addressing more aspects of the marine industry, including visits to relevant businesses and going sailing more often to experience the joy of this sport. Intensifying this program will provide students with a clearer overview of jobs available in the marine industry and a better understanding of the required skill set.
The sailing program will place more focus on teaching students valuable skills that will prepare them for their future. “In previous years, the goal was to train for St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, after which students received a certificate. This year, we want to look beyond that and get students excited about continuous sailing and racing and adapting it as a sport they love. This will include classroom sessions and practicing in smaller groups to teach more comprehensive boat-handling skills individually. To add to the experience, we have included knowledgeable youth sailors that will act as mentors, in addition to the sailing instructors who have been involved in the previous years. The interaction with experienced peers will have a beneficial effect on the motivation of the students involved,” said Kidz At Sea Foundation founder Garth Steyn.
During the summer months, Kidz At Sea started cooperating with Ujima Foundation. These youths will remain part of the program and organizers are currently reviewing how to implement this in the schedule. Kidz At Sea Foundation is looking forward to signing up a group of approximately 40-50 students to participate in both its programs.
Kidz at Sea Foundation was founded in 2012 as an initiative to introduce St Maarten youth to all prospects of the marine industry by means of boatbuilding and sailing. Furthermore, the two programs will teach the students specific industry related skills and encourage personal development, giving them an advantage when applying for a job. Kidz at Sea is not-for-profit and could not be successful without all of its sponsors and supporters.
