Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments 2024 Leaderboard

School's in Session at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week

by Charleston Race Week on 11 Mar 2014
Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week - Charleston Race Week Dan Dickison
When is a regatta more than the sum of its parts? When it provides a service for more than just the competitors. For the past decade, the organizers of Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week have found important ways to benefit the community with their event. Each year, proceeds from the regatta are donated to support nonprofit sailing organizations in the Charleston area, including Veterans on Deck and Charleston Community Sailing. For 2014, the organizers have partnered with US Sailing to support that organization’s STEM education initiative - Reach.

Launched in 2012, U.S. Sailing’s Reach program is a combination of sailing and STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for middle school students. Using a 10-point curriculum aligned with national school standards, the REACH program offers lessons using wind data, meteorology and more. The goal of the program is to create partnerships between schools and sailing centers that can ultimately get more kids out on the water and provide them with a unique learning experience. With programs in 200 locations and in five countries, US Sailing’s Reach program exposes an entirely new demographic to sailing that wouldn’t otherwise have an awareness of the sport.

According to Jessica Servis, who manages the Reach program for US Sailing, 'This program focuses on answering all of the questions that kids have when they first get on the water, such as ‘What makes a boat sail?’ and 'How does that work?’ The program addresses the science of sailing, and it also includes lessons about water chemistry and the marine environment.' Servis explains that the program uses inquiry-based instruction. 'We use sailing as a tool to impart STEM lessons. It’s very effective and very much in the vein of experiential learning, which can be powerful.'

This year, Charleston Race Week will participate by hosting US Sailing’s STEM Educator Course. This one-day course will be offered to local teachers, sailing instructors, and leaders from nonprofit organizations who work with middle school students. The world’s largest sailboat builder – Groupe Beneteau USA – will provide 10 scholarships to the course for teachers who work with at- risk students in the Charleston and Marion, SC areas.

How powerful is Reach? Just ask Celia Oprinovich, a Reach veteran and lead teacher at Indiana Sailing Association. 'I certainly enjoyed my teaching experience with the Reach modules and the educators' class that I participated in at Strictly Sail Chicago. Since then, the modules have totally engaged our seventh and eighth grade students. As a retired middle school math teacher with the Chicago Public Schools, I appreciate the nontraditional, hands-on approach to science and math instruction that these modules offer. The STEM materials motivate even the most reluctant of our learners. But best of all, the learning is fun!' (Indiana Sailing Association is a non-profit youth sailing organization that utilizes the Reach modules in a collaborative effort with the Communities in Schools of East Chicago, Ind.)

Charleston Race Week will mark the first time that U.S. Sailing’s Reach program has been offered in a regatta setting. According to Servis, the program has the potential to dramatically grow the sport and to enrich the educational experience of kids across the country.

'The organizers of Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week are pleased to offer the experience at this year’s event,' said Event Director Randy Draftz, 'The Reach program is a terrific fit for our regatta. We’ll be helping teachers find a truly effective way to connect learning for their students, and ultimately, we’ll be exposing more kids to the sport of sailing.'

To find out more about U.S. Sailing’s Reach program, visit website. For more information about Charleston Race Week, please visit website. You can also follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
PredictWind - Offshore App 728x90 BOTTOMBarton Marine Pipe GlandsC-Tech 2021 SnuffAir 728x90 BOTTOM

Related Articles

Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 3
Mother Nature teases the competitors Mother Nature teased the competitors today and made them wait a bit, but she did not disappoint; the sun came out and a big westerly built to 18-20 knots!
Posted today at 5:22 pm
The Iconic Admiral's Cup Returns!
Harken UK caught up with the RORC CEO and Admiral's Cup sailors ahead of the event After a long hiatus, this prestigious international yachting regatta makes its grand comeback from 17- 31 July at The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Posted today at 3:30 pm
Excellent Olympic Season Openers for GP Watercraft
Bermudan ILCA sailors enjoy a strong start to the season! The first two Olympic events of 2025 proved a very positive start to the season for GP Watercraft and their Bermudan ILCA sailors: Sebastian Kempe (ILCA 7) and Adriana Penruddocke (ILCA 6) who are both coached by Shaun Priestley of GP Watercraft.
Posted today at 11:00 am
A century of human endeavour
The Fastnet Race is regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds For 100 years, the Rolex Fastnet Race has been regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds. It is a place where ambitions and dreams meet harsh reality, where skill, endurance and fortitude are severely tested.
Posted today at 10:14 am
Martine Grael in Racing on the Edge
First female driver to win a Fleet Race captured in behind-the-scenes documentary Major milestone moment for SailGP captured in behind-the-scenes documentary series, which reaches 10 million total viewers since launching in 2021.
Posted today at 8:45 am
Get ready to celebrate world's best sailing photos
16th edition of the Pantaenius Yacht Racing Image Award Professional photographers from around the globe are invited to submit their best yacht racing images captured between October 14, 2024, and October 12, 2025.
Posted today at 7:15 am
Alli Bell & Restless crew to make Transpac history
On course to be the first woman skipper to win Transpac overall Alli Bell and the crew of her Cal 40 Restless took a winch handle to the notion that winning the Transpacific Yacht Race's top corrected-time prize requires membership in an old-boys club or a mighty war chest.
Posted today at 6:28 am
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC Four preview
The pinnacle of grass roots sailing has 97 entries The very largest yachts, including the 100ft Ultim foiling trimarans and 60ft IMOCAs are an essential part of the spectacle of the Fastnet Race, however a critical element in the race's enduring appeal is that this is predominately a grass roots event.
Posted on 14 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 2
Classic Long Beach conditions return The weather conditions at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta shifted noticeably today, delivering the classic Long Beach breeze that many expect from this world-class venue.
Posted on 14 Jul
NYYC International Women's Championship update
Third group of skippers includes Nicole Breault, Dominique Proyoveur, Laura van Veen While there is no nationality requirement for the crews that will compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship, a number of teams are embracing the opportunity to wave their respective national flags at the debut edition.
Posted on 14 Jul