Helping sailing programs become catalysts for environmental betterment

by Kate Neubauer, 11th Hour Racing Program Manager on 26 Jul 2013 11th Hour Racing is pleased to announce seven grantees of the inaugural Sailing Education and Stewardship Initiative.

11th Hour Racing seeks to inspire innovation and create leaders within the sailing industry for the improved health of our waters. Through the Sailing Education and Stewardship grant program, community sailing and racing organizations are engaged to help identify local solutions, motivating a new generation of environmentally savvy sailors. A total of $49,500 has been gifted each project selected demonstrated proven and effective strategies to engage youth, modeling better practices, and advancing knowledge of issues impacting local bodies of water.

'Education is the cornerstone of this initiative – by getting kids on the water, sailing, and learning, we hope to inspire lifelong passion for the sea and our environment,' said Jeremy Pochman, Director of 11th Hour Racing. 'Program participants are the next generation of social entrepreneurs, climate scientists, and marine industry leaders. We see tremendous potential in all the programs and look forward to supporting similar efforts in the years to come.'

After an overwhelming response to the call for proposals, the following grantees have been chosen for support:

• Baltimore County Sailing Center – Baltimore Maryland: initiated an oyster bio-filtration program, a project with the dual purpose of environmental sustainability and sailing education. .
• Bourne Community Boating – Bourne Massachusetts: engages youth sailors in marine science so that sailors understand what is going on in the waters underneath their boats, in Buzzards Bay.
• Courageous Sailing Center – Boston, Massachusetts: launched the Courageously Green Initiative to improve student beliefs, attitudes and behaviors regarding specific local and global environmental issues. Environmental educators.
• New England Science and Sailing – Stonington, Connecticut: partnered with US Sailing’s REACH program promote environmental stewardship in New London public schools.
• Rocking the Boat – Bronx, New York: challenges kids living with harsh economic, educational, and social conditions to build their own wooden boat and get on the water..
• Sail Newport – Newport, Rhode Island: engaging kids in 'moving classrooms,' to learn practical sailing skills, while exploring Narragansett Bay and learning about the local ecosystem; in partnership with Save The Bay.
• Wayzata Community Sailing Center – Wayzata, Minnesota: educates sailors about the environmental needs that affect the bodies of water in which they sail.

Periodic updates on grantees success will be available on the 11th Hour Racing website and Facebook page.

11th Hour Racing, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, seeks to establish a dynamic new platform for sailing education emphasizing the responsible use of energy and resources. 11th Hour Racing aims to improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters.