Courageous is operated year-round from our home base in Charlestown by a core team. During the spring and summer, our ranks swell to over 100 as we bring in instructors, site directors, and general staff to run daily programs and operations at our three sites.
Dave started at Courageous in 2007 as the youth program race coach, before becoming the director of the Courageous adult program from 2007-2011. In that time, Dave oversaw the growth of our adult membership, instruction and racing programs, helping to establish Courageous as one of the leading nonprofit keelboat schools in Massachusetts. As our Executive Director, Dave now works closely with our Board of Directors and management team to ensure Courageous is meeting our mission and delivering the strongest and safest possible programs. Dave learned to sail on the south shore of Long Island, and is a US Sailing Keelboat Instructor and Level 2 racing coach.
Jen’s focus is on supporting the students and instructors in Courageous’s youth and adult programs. She develops curriculum and resources, trains instructors, and coordinates adaptive and high school sailing programs. She has been affiliated with Courageous in various roles since 2009 and is a longtime member of our Frostbiting racing fleet. Jen grew up sailing, racing, and instructing in New London, CT. A former classroom teacher and arts educator, Jen is committed to providing lifelong learning opportunities to sailors at all levels, using sailing as a platform for teaching academic and life skills, and making sailing accessible and welcoming to all.
Caitlyn joined the Courageous team in March 2017. Caitlyn comes to us from a neighboring Community Sailing Center here in Boston where she worked as Adaptive Recreation Director and moved into the role of Executive Director in her final year. As the Director of Adult & Family Programs, Caitlyn facilitates corporate outings, learn to sail courses and family sailing. She grew up in Nahant, MA where she learned to sail in a small community sailing program before coaching sailing up and down the east coast in Vermont, Bermuda, Connecticut, St.Croix and Boston. Caitlyn can often be spotted running bow on a Kiri Elite 37′ in many PHRF summer series in and around Boston. She looks forward to using her network to grow the community and membership at Courageous.
Ashton has been working at Courageous since June 2015. As the Operations Director, Ashton oversees program operations and is working to better streamline our systems and workflows. She is originally from Mobile, AL and grew up on the water. When Ashton is not at Courageous, you can find her on the ultimate frisbee field attempting not to injure herself yet again. Ashton received her Masters in social work from Florida State University and has a background in working with nonprofits. Ashton plans to utilize her background in social work to build community partnerships and promote youth development.
Abbie has been on the water in some boat or another since she can remember and only recently found her way to Courageous. After studying marine ecology and oceanography around the world she’s excited to help grow our STEM programs in order to connect our sailing community with the ecosystems of Boston Harbor and beyond. When she’s not writing curriculum or teaching tide-themed tag games, you can find her practicing for her next chorus concert, looking for beaches where she can bring her dog, and trying to identify the plants on her walk home.
Alexe (Lexi) brings a lifelong passion for experiential education and youth development to her role as Director of Youth Programs and Outreach. She grew up sailing, kayaking, and generally messing about in boats in Southern New Hampshire before heading to New York City, where she attended New York University. Alexe has worked on tall ships, small ships, and was the Youth Sailing Director at Hudson River Community Sailing in Manhattan prior to joining Courageous. Alexe holds her USCG 50 Ton Inland Master Captain’s License, US Sailing Basic Keelboat and Powerboat Instructor certifications, and is a US Sailing Small Boat Instructor Trainer. In the off season, Alexe enjoys biking and backcountry skiing.
Nora joined the Courageous team in 2016 while pursuing a degree in International Relations. Her commitment to the mission of Courageous was generated by her work to support the Reach Initiative and her passion for social emotional learning.
This year, our team thoughtfully constructed a program that would recreate in the virtual world the community that makes being on the pier so special. Our top priority was to support our kids emotionally and help them address the feelings of isolation, anxiety, and stress that many were experiencing.
Our strategy:
“I think every year with kids at Courageous you see relationships form. I think whether online or in person, I still had those relationships form with students and coworkers… One thing Courageous does well is unity. I have always found myself making new friends, connecting with old ones, and becoming friends with my instructor. Courageous to me is one big family and I think everyone is always there to support you.”
—Jean, Swim Sail Science instructor and former Courageous kid
After our kids’ tough spring of remote learning in school, we knew that it would be critical to make the online Courageous Sailing experience hands-on and interesting, especially because many of our students—especially those already disproportionately affected by the upheaval of the pandemic—had lost so much ground academically. We needed to make learning fun!
Our strategy:
“I was SO impressed at the job your team did. On the first day I walked by my Step 5 (somewhat sullen, quarantined) teenager hearing him laughing and happily engaging with his group. Then hearing what they were doing everyday was so amazing. Highlights I heard about (or watched): the sailing regatta app (so cool!); The underwater view of the sea under the dock; the interview with the Commander of the Constitution (that was really amazing)! I commented to my husband that the Courageous Team should be coaching the schools on how to run Zoom meetings.”
—Kristin, Courageous parent
Youth are living in a world that can feel frightening, hostile, and unjust—a place where it’s difficult to feel safe, set worry aside, and just be a kid. Whether on Zoom or on the water, Courageous made sure that our students had plenty of opportunities for fun.
Our strategy:
“I could have fun at home as much as outside.”—Ryhan, Courageous student
“My favorite memory from Courageous is hanging out with instructors and friends and having fun with them!”—Zhencong, Courageous student
There’s no question that the pandemic has been psychologically tough on youth. Last fall, half of teens experienced mental or emotional health challenges, and 31% of parents had seen their child’s emotional or mental health suffer. Coming into the summer, many Courageous kids reported feeling sad, lonely, or anxious about interacting with others after being apart for so long. They were pleasantly surprised by how quickly time spent together in a boat allowed barriers to melt away and friendships to be forged. To help kids develop skills to navigate this year’s challenges, our leadership team included four trained social workers, who taught classes in communication and teamwork, handling emotions, celebrating personal strengths, and addressing setbacks. For students in need of more intensive support, the expertise of our social workers, along with the mentorship of other staff members, were an invaluable resource. Many noted a profound and welcome change in themselves by the end of their time with Courageous: in the simple words of one young sailor, “I am happy.”
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Courageous is committed to providing equitable access to high-quality learning programs for kids of all walks of life, regardless of financial means. Sailing has traditionally been a sport of the rich and the white, and that needs to change! We are proactive in our efforts to reach out to and include young people who might not otherwise get involved. Course fees are determined by financial need, and our Swim Sail Science academic summer program and new school-day programs are completely free for participants. To eliminate potential barriers to participation, Courageous provides Swim Sail Science students and alumni with school bus transportation throughout Boston, meals, and ongoing swimming lessons. In 2021, 45% of our intermediate-level sailors started their Courageous journey with Swim Sail Science!
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Access to learning opportunities has never been more important. The academic disruption of the pandemic has impacted all students, but it has been worse for youth of color, who may have “lost” the cumulative equivalent of 6-12 months of learning. Summer learning programs like ours are critical to getting kids’ education back on track. Our free, five-week Swim Sail Science program, offered in partnership with Boston Public Schools, engages elementary students at risk of learning loss. Each summer, sixty kids reinforce reading, writing, and math basics and build high-level critical thinking skills through a hands-on, environmental science-based academic curriculum. Data confirm that year after year, Swim Sail Science students make impressive academic gains and become more confident, engaged learners. But learning doesn’t stop with Swim Sail Science! After a school year in which many students felt left behind or uninspired, Courageous sailors at all levels were excited to jump into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities. Students waited breathlessly on the dock to see and learn about the animals our two marine biology instructors brought up from their dives. Kids learned about buoyancy, design, and how sailboats work by creating and testing “trash boats,” kites, and marine debris skimmers. From testing water quality to bouncing between squeamishness and curiosity while watching an up-close fish dissection, Courageous kids got caught up in the fun of learning, and they’re ready for more.
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Supporting students as they recover emotionally and academically isn’t something that schools can do alone, and we are thrilled that two Boston Public schools have turned to Courageous to partner with them. This fall marks a long-awaited development for Courageous: expanding our school-year programming so that we can be there for kids all year round during the school day, and can serve even more young people. We are launching a new school-day program combining STEM, social-emotional learning, and sailing, serving approximately 280 kids in two under-resourced schools. This pilot program is so important that we will be providing it at no cost to the participating schools and families, and we are asking for your help. We know that the Courageous approach works in a way that goes beyond summer, and we hope you will support this next step!
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