STEM Education through Sailing

You may have heard about wonderful success with early experimental STEM Sailing programs. I have been following the STEM sailing concept since I first heard about it through the VOR. It enables learning Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) through a sailing curriculum. 

I have just stumbled across a major initiative in America that is taking off. US Sailing has adopted STEM sailing with a program they are calling REACH. It is a perfect program for adventure sailing participants. The National Sailing Hall of Fame has developed a full STEM sailing curriculum geared towards careers in boat building and sailing. I believe this is going to make a huge change in the future of sailing. 

This is too cool. Applied science! Finally something that makes so much sense and can be great fun.

CBC STEM graphic - brilliant!

Multiple clubs have instituted STEM Sailing on the junior training level with much success. One is the Community Boating Center in Providence, RI, USA which was instrumental in getting the REACH initiative rolling. Another is the Howth Yacht Club in Ireland which has had a massively successful first season. In 2018, 28 sailing centers throughout the United Sates were awarded grants to grow youth sailing through STEM and environmental education through the US Sailing Reach Initiative. They teach about every aspect of sailing not how to sail in a race. That's the kind of thing we want to hear.

Add an natural earth science/ecology element to the curriculum and you'll have a great way to teach kids just about anything they need to know. Well done. As a scientist and a sailor, I am really thrilled to see this.



Post was modified 06 Dec 2018 with new information.