In my ten years at Courageous, what has inspired me most are the daily reminders that sailing here truly makes a lasting impact on children’s lives. Through survey data, parent feedback, independent evaluations, and—most powerfully—the faces and voices of Courageous kids, we know that the youth we serve are building crucial life skills that will take them far beyond Boston Harbor.
As Executive Director, I’ve told the Courageous story thousands of times, but never as well as our best Courageous spokespeople: the young instructors who have been coming back summer after summer since first experiencing the thrill of sailing as little kids. I’m so happy to introduce you to Mikako, Lucas, and Victoria, three Instructors-in-Training who grew up in the program and are now giving back as teachers and role models to our younger kids. You can hear more of their perspectives and catch a few of our season highlights, including the fantastic youth sailing community at Jamaica Pond and the work that our Swim Sail Science program is doing to help our kids become confident around water and in the classroom. It’s a testament to the fun, supportive environment of Courageous programs that over 75% of our current students want to follow in the footsteps of Lucas, Mikako, and Victoria and become instructors themselves!
In 2017, thanks to supporters like you, we provided more kids than ever before—1,145!—with opportunities for learning and growth. In 2018, we are aiming to serve even more Courageous kids, reduce the size of our waitlist, and continue to ensure that a family’s ability to pay is never a barrier to participation. To help make that possible, we’ve set a goal of raising $30,000 by midnight of December 31. I hope that you will join us in meeting that goal and supporting the next generation of Courageous kids.
Gratefully, Dave DiLorenzo Executive Director
