RISE, U.S. SailGP Team and HRCS collaborate with Good Shepherd Services to empower youth

RISE, the national nonprofit organization that uses sports to eliminate racism and champion social justice, along with the U.S. SailGP Team and Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS), are collaborating with Good Shepherd Services (GSS) to educate and empower students to become leaders in social justice.

The RISE leadership program, which started earlier this month and features 30 student participants from GSS and HRCS, features RISE modules that inspire youth to be leaders in addressing racism and improving race relations covering topics such as identity, equality vs. equity and sport as a vehicle for change. The diverse group of students also learn to sail and gain experience on the water through training from HRCS, and will have the opportunity to sail with and be coached by U.S. SailGP Team CEO Mike Buckley on June 3.

The three-part program will culminate during the week of June 17 leading to the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix weekend, during which participants will attend SailGP's Inspire program for further hands-on learning around the sport of sailing, RISE education, and a meet & greet with the U.S. SailGP Team on June 19. The SailGP Inspire program is an outreach initiative that has helped diversify the sport of sailing for youth.

Topics from the RISE program curriculum include: Understanding Our Identities, in which participants reflect on labels they use to identify themselves and their importance, Equality vs. Equity where participants learn about the difference between the two terms and how they pertain to achieving fairness, as well as the roles they play in society, and Sport as a Vehicle for Change where participants examine examples of athlete activism and discuss their own leadership.

"We are absolutely thrilled to collaborate with these organizations to use the sport of sailing as a vehicle to empower youth and build connection across communities," said RISE Chief Executive Officer Diahann Billings-Burford. "To be able to create spaces that build trust and create pathways for positive communication for these participants, all while learning more about a growing sport, is truly incredible."

"I'm incredibly proud of our team's partnerships with HRCS - the work they do to introduce youth to the sport that changed my life - and RISE to open lines of communication on key topics around race and equality while using sport as a vehicle for change," said U.S. SailGP Team CEO Mike Buckley.

"Our partnership with RISE, the U.S. SailGP Team and Good Shepherd Services aligns perfectly with our mission of supporting leadership and academic success in New York City youth," said HRCS Executive Director Robert Burke. "By equipping our students with both the knowledge from the youth leadership workshops and the skills gained through sailing, we are empowering them to navigate not only the waters but also the societal challenges they will undoubtedly encounter."