Kids get smarts on local waters

By Jeffrey Grover

Courageous Sailing has been keeping kids afloat since 1987. "Courageous serves all types of kids, from the inner-city to the suburbs," said Kate Henderson, the director of youth programs at Courageous Sailing. "We pride ourselves in being able to bring everyone together."

More than 1,100 kids participated in the sailing program last summer. "We want kids to feel right at home and at the same time be prepared for challenges in the outside world," said Henderson. "Many of our kids in the last 20 years have become teachers and even marine biologists. It's great to see the impact the program has been on these kids."

As a parent of two girls in the organization, John Shea speaks highly about Courageous Sailing. "They have taught my daughters not only how to sail but they also have taught them how to appreciate and respect the ocean," he said. "Courageous Sailing stresses learning and uses great educational tools throughout their program."

Jane Torpie is another parent who feels that Courageous Sailing has had a positive impact on her daughter. "Last year was her first year but she really became a lot more focused with school and just carried herself with much more confidence," said Torpie. "She has also had the opportunity to make friends from a diverse group of kids. She really can't get that anywhere else."

As the 2009 season slowly gets underway, Courageous Sailing has not been able to get a full grasp on whether the recession will have an adverse effect on their organization. "We are on the same pace from last year but there are signs that we may not be able to serve as many kids as we want to," said Henderson. "We have done a lot of planning and though we have been kind of lucky until this point, we have to wait and see what happens."

So far, the recession has not affected Courageous Sailing in finding and keeping good coaches or instructors. "The coaches, frequently have grown up in our programs," said Henderson. "When a student turns 15, they have the opportunity to apply for a two-year, four-step program to become an Instructor-in-Training. Thus we grow a lot of our staff in- house."

Last year, 63 instructors volunteered for the organization, ranging in age from 15 to 35 years old. Courageous Sailing also advertises for instructors on websites like Craigslist, Sail1Design.com and Idealist.org. "We not only look for skilled sailors," said John Maconga, the founder of Courageous Sailing. "But also those who are skilled teachers, enthusiastic about our mission, and passionate about working with kids and making a difference in their lives."

For example, Courageous Sailing hosted the Summer Special Olympics several years ago and continues to work with children with mental and physical disabilities. "Children with developmental problems can get just as much out of sailing than anyone else can," said Henderson. "We stress to these kids that anything can be achieved."

Kids in the program sail on Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain and in Boston Harbor from April until November.