Message from Executive Director Charlie Arms

The Brendan Sailing program had yet another successful summer in 2018. Using the National On-Water Standards (NOWS), Sail Instructional Standard, and the Brendan Approach, campers were taught learn-to-sail training in a tailored on-water instructional environment. It was our first season using NOWS, and it was amazing to see the confidence and excitement on the kids’ faces grow every day as their sailing skills improved. We capped the sailing portion of the camp with a day sail to “Snake Beach,” culminating with the annual Parents Sail held on the last day. It is awesome to watch the children take charge of the boat, and in a role reversal, provide instructions to their parents on how to sit and trim the jib!

​When not on the water, we incorporated US Sailing’s new STEM education initiative, REACH. Using a series of lessons, REACH is designed to teach aspects of science and technology affiliated with the sport of sailing. Our favorite REACH activity was the buoyancy experiment: campers constructed sailboats out of clay, and then placed them in the water to see how long they could float. The kids really seemed to enjoy the experiments provided in the REACH program, and we hope to continue implementing similar initiatives in the future.

Recently, we concluded our first ever after-school program with our new partner in Washington D.C., DC Sail. Located on the Anacostia River, DC Sail was a great partner with great access to the water. We look forward to working with them again, and other new partners the future. As we continue to grow in 2019 and beyond, we will be expanding the Brendan brand. This offseason, we will be increasing our marketing and outreach efforts to be more accessible to families and children who would benefit from our programs most. If schools in your area are having activity fairs or if you are a part of a parent-teacher organization, please let us know. We love to participate in community events and appreciate any help from those in our network. Please do not hesitate to give me a call anytime.

(707)-246-0434

Sincerely,
Charlie

To see more content from the Brendan Fall 2018 Newsletter, click here.

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