US Sailing Reach grant awarded to Havre de Grace Youth Sailing Program
Longtime Havre de Grace sailor, Betty Caffo, shares good news for the youth sailing scene in Havre de Grace.
It was an exceedingly hot day in June at the Havre de Grace Youth Sailing Program site, but the mood was light and breezy. After all, the program had just been awarded one of only 10 grants in the country to advance its already-popular mission of engaging youth in sailing. An interview with director and US Sailing Level 3-certified instructor, Nicole Buscemi, allowed the good news to be shared and the grant explained.
Tell me about the background to be considered for this grant.
Buscemi: I used my time during the Covid pandemic to go through the US Sailing Association Reach Instructor course. That training made me more aware of the opportunities offered by US Sailing. I subsequently noticed an online application for a grant, and our board went to work to submit it.
What is Reach?
Reach, an initiative of US Sailing, is where STEM meets sailing. Familiar to most people, STEM is the educational approach to engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math. Reach is compatible with the mission of STEM, and it gives young sailors deeper understanding and skill than the experience of sailing by itself would do. The award letter from US Sailing states that “Reach is a platform to challenge youth to embrace education, establish a love of learning, and explore productive STEM-based careers” while learning the joy of sailing.
You mentioned corporate sponsors that contribute to the mission of USAA. What companies are involved?
Harken and Yeti, as well as many others, are corporate sponsors, and I believe those kinds of contributions help make grant funds available.
Why do you think Havre de Grace’s program grabbed the attention of US Sailing?
Well, our program is community-based and not part of a yacht or sailing club, and I think US Sailing appreciates that our sailing program is an integral part of our city. In fact, several parts of our city really make our program tick—providing a facility and boat storage, use of a chase boat, waterfront docks for our boats, and boat repairs in the off-season. It is a real Havre de Grace program that promotes sailing and excites youth.
Do you know how the funds might be used?
We have already spent some grant funds to buy materials such as workbooks and demonstration apparatus. We are also awarding scholarships to get more kids on the water and learning about the water.
What approach will you use to integrate aspects of Reach into a typical camp week?
It will be similar to our current approach but much more focused on incorporating STEM elements. We plan to integrate more of the “why/how we are sailing” into our classes. We also plan to increase our focus on protecting the marine environment by giving our sailors more hands-on experiences about water quality and aquatic life.
One of the workbook modules, for example, focuses on upwind sailing and its relationship to geometry. Skills include prediction, problem solving, and calculating distance based on angles. Our young sailors really see how typical classroom topics relate to the real and fun world of sailing.
What locations are served by your sailing program?
We reach out all across Harford County, but we have had kids from other states take part in the program when they visit relatives and friends locally. This grant has been a game-changer for attracting the next generation of Upper Bay sailors to our program.
Interview by Betty Caffo
