Ships2Shores Programming, 2021-2022
Nov 25, 2021
Sailing: a Gift you can’t buy in a store, a value and legacy only you can create…
There is always that moment of discovery when we step aboard a sailboat, whether it be a dinghy, a friend’s C&C 27, or a Catalina 42, and that discovery remains, and that experience remains, and the love of sailing begins. And what if your first moment was stepping aboard a seventy-two foot, twin-masted, forty-seven ton Brigantine, with a fifty-seven foot mainmast, and a complement of 28 sailors???!
This past summer, for 100 youth from Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, BC, and Nunavut, all experiencing socio-economic barriers, that was their moment to discover a new adventure, self-development and comradeship on a ship which they had never imagined before – on the East Coast, the Great Lakes, and the Pacific Coast!
“I love sailing and sailing a tall ship is AWESOME! The crew members let me set the tops’l all by myself and also to furl and unfurl the t’gallant (which is not as easy as it sounds!) I hope to get a job on the ship next summer, so that I can put all my knowledge to use by teaching more kids like me. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!”
In 2020, the Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders launched an ambitious and innovative program called Ships2Shores https://ships2shores.ca/ , with funding from the Canadian government. Due to the pandemic, the original programming was replaced with digital programming, featuring 70 webinars focused on all things marine, engaging 2,300 youth across Canada, collaborating with 50 schools, eight sail training organizations and dozens of corporations, youth service providers and professionals.
The programming was very diverse: marine emergency safety training; Indigenous drumming, songs and storytelling; early West Coast exploration; celebrating women in Canada’s marine sector; aquatic biology; songs and stories from the Canadian North, and Full STEAM Ahead, introducing youth to Canada’s marine professions, including marine engineering and nautical archaeology.
Presenters for the webinars included Juno-winning Indigenous singer Crystal Shawanda, Juno-nominated singer Alysha Brilla, Chantal Chagnon, and musicians David Newland, Ian Bell and Sean Dagher.
Our new Sail Training Fund sponsored youth from six sail training organizations in Lunenberg, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton and Vancouver, providing 100 youth with their tall ship experience.
“I was seasick the whole time! But living with a bunch of youth on a boat for a week is the best thing I’ve ever done. It helped me become more responsible when I was put on jobs or had to take care of myself and keep all my things organized and taking responsibility. Being around the same people for a week helps you feel more open and I use those skills everyday now … I can’t wait to go back and make more life-long memories!”
The leadership team for Ships2Shores was composed fully of 24 youth – the National Skippers’ Council – planning and implementing activities across the country, in real time and without prior experience.
“Ships2Shores has allowed me to make a breakthrough in my professional development. I am currently pursuing a career as a Navigation Officer.”
“Engaging 100 youth so they could have their first ever tall ship experiences was something I had never done before. As a student who is looking to do some form of project management in the future, this experience was absolutely invaluable.”
The Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders is currently in Year Two of Ships2Shores, with an application for three more years of funding awaiting approval. To sponsor a youth aboard a tall ship requires $800.00, and we ask you to consider doing just that: all donations have value, all add up and just think about the value your gift will provide the young person or persons!
That kind of gift can’t be bought at a store: it can only come from one who knows the value that is created by sailing. That gift will start a legacy that only you can create – and which will never end.
For more information, please contact our CEO, marguerite.pyron@sailbroadreach.ca
– Randall Withell, Volunteer, Communication Committee, The Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders
