Courageous Sailing

Many of our Instructors-in-Training and instructors know Courageous both as students and as staff, and this gives them unique perspectives on the impact Courageous has on the lives of kids. Mikako and Lucas grew up sailing at Jamaica Pond, while Victoria and her two sisters—one of whom became an instructor for our Swim Sail Science program—learned to sail at Courageous’s Charlestown site. All three are part of our Instructor-in-Training program, a 2-summer paid job training program in which 20 teens make the transition from student to teacher, developing their abilities to communicate, teach, lead, and inspire the next generation of Courageous kids--while building transferable job skills.

IITs spend the summer perfecting their sailing skills, learning and practicing the basics of teaching and youth development, shadowing veteran instructors, and eventually taking charge of instructing a boat of 3 children. We’re proud that virtually all of our IITs become Courageous instructors, as Mikako will next summer; the vast majority of our instructors were once Courageous kids. It’s a testament to the fun, supportive environment of our programs that over 75% of our current students want to follow in Lucas, Mikako, and Victoria’s footsteps and become instructors themselves.

From the program’s inception, we knew that swimming lessons had to be a key component; 60-70% of black and Hispanic children cannot swim. At Courageous, we are committed to helping kids overcome this challenge so that they can advance in our sailing programs and become more confident on, in, and around the water. Our Swim Sail Science students take swimming lessons every day at the Charlestown YMCA, and many take winter lessons as well. This summer, we added daily swimming lessons for Swim Sail Science graduates who have continued to sail at Courageous.

For many of our kids, swimming was a fun and empowering part of their Courageous experience. One-fifth of Swim Sail Science students remembered swimming as the best part of the summer, and several named passing the Courageous swim test as their favorite memory. For the 45 Swim Sail Science graduates currently progressing through our more advanced sailing programs (with about 20 more joining each year), enjoying the water is now part of their lives.

In 2017, in response to suggestions from students, staff, and parents, we were able to offer three sessions of “JP2,” a two-week intermediate/advanced sailing course that utilized our fleet of four fast, fun RS Quests. Our older, more experienced kids jumped at the opportunity to learn more advanced skills and fly spinnakers. With the guidance of their instructors, they also took on additional responsibilities for teaching younger sailors and caring for the fleet. In the words of Benjamin, the head JP2 instructor, “I could tell that the JP2 students took the idea of being role models to heart. I remember watching one of them coach a JP1 student through a capsize recovery, giving the younger student step by step instructions, as well as friendly encouragement, while the two worked to right their boat.”

With an emphasis on team building, reflection, and learning—not to mention a big dose of silliness—Jamaica Pond embodies the spirit of the Courageous community.