Lorie Stout, Exec Director of Annapolis Community Boating (ACB), has approached us to run a Boating Course at Bates in April/May 2012 after school on Tu/Thurs. It it will be an 8-wk/16 session course that will teach boating, environmental stewardship, and have a maritime industry component. The kids will take the DNR's Boating License test at the end of the course. Her programs have been developed in conjunction with the Coast Guard and DNR. Dr. Bragdon is supportive of this program.
There will be fundraising required to bring this program to Bates. Lorie will write grant proposals to help fund the program (grants mentioned were AYC & EYC Foundations and the 4 Rivers Foundation). The cost covers insurance, materials, certified personnel and boat maintenance.
Because of the time commitment, for now, PVA students will not be eligible. As she hopes to grow/build the program, next year we may be able to offer Mon/Wed sessions for PVA kids. They also run free summer programs and are running a similar course thru the Stanton Center that may be open to PVA kids.
I desperately need a strong volunteer(s) to spearhead this initiative from the Bates end. It would involve some fundraising as well as providing the coordination / championing at Bates. If this volunteer spot matches your skills or interest, or if you have any resources you can offer, please contact me ASAP! This would be a fantastic legacy you could leave to Bates.
Marine & Maritime Career Fair
On a related topic, the first Marine & Maritime Career Fair will be held at Annapolis High School for grades 8-12 on Feb 26, hosted by AACPS, Nat'l Sailing Center and the EYC Foundation. There will be60 representative from industry as well as maritime educators (USNA, Coast Guard, and the Webb Institute). For more info, click here.
