Pen-Bay Leadership Program
for Middle School
Seamanship, Science, and Sailing
This 14-day immersive course takes ten local scholarship students on a midcoast learning adventure.
July 15th-28th, 2019, Cost $2500
Financial Aid Available, Click here for more information and registration
In this adventure, three midcoast organizations come together to provide ten local boys with full scholarships and a rare opportunity to experience three exceptional programs rolled into one. Kicking off in Rockland, Maine, students will spend three days at The Apprenticeshop learning the basics of sailing and seamanship during the day and staying overnight at Wheeler Bay basecamp. On the fourth day of the course, we shift gears and locations, transferring students to the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership (HICSL) where they spend the next few days living on the island and getting involved in a variety of projects to help them understand the ecosystems of Penobscot Bay and human impacts on the environment. On the final leg of the program, students will load all their gear and food for four days to an Outward Bound 30-foot open sailboat, which serves as home and classroom as they apply the skills they've learned to their final expedition. Through living and working closely together, students will learn far more than seamanship and scientific method. The habits learned and strengthened through this adventure will serve students for life, and for whatever challenge is next.
This course is offered for rising 8th and 9th grade boys in 2019 and for girls in 2020.
Program Details
Overall Experience:
Regular group discussions throughout the course will allow for reflection on each day’s progress, and ensure that leadership and group responsibilities are shared so that every participant is integral to overall experience. Through living and working closely together, students will learn far more than seamanship and scientific method. The habits learned and strengthened through this adventure will serve students for life, and for whatever challenge is next.
Apprenticeshop
Students will learn the basics of navigation, knots, weather, rowing, sailing and woodworking skills. Students will be exposed to a variety of sailing and rowing craft and their time will be divided between time on (and even in) the water and working project time in the shop itself. Participation in group challenges and activities designed to foster team related skills will round out their time at the Apprenticeshop and form the foundation the group will build on as they move through the rest of the program. During this part of the program, students will be staying at Wheeler Bay and transported each day to/from the Apprenticeshop. On the last day of their program, students will be transported via boat to Hurricane Island.
Hurricane Island
On Hurricane Island students will be involved in a variety of projects to help them understand the ecosystems of Penobscot Bay and human impacts on the environment. Students will also spend time developing their own research that they will implement throughout the rest of the program and present at the final celebration. This work will be integrated with activities to explore the island, reflect on their experiences, and develop as individual leaders and a team. Students will be living and learning on Hurricane Island throughout this part of the program. They will depart from Hurricane Island via pulling boat on the last day of the program for the final leg of the experience.
Outward Bound
Students will load all their gear and food for four days on to a 30-foot open sailboat. Students will take the skills they have learned throughout the program and apply them to expedition sailing, including conducting onboard research. They will row or sail everyday, developing additional skills as they travel along their planned route. On board, they will carry all they need: stoves, shelters, food and water, etc. Bathing will occur daily with an ocean swim.
Final Celebration
Students will arrive at Wheeler Bay for the culminating celebration with enough time to clean the boat, process their experience, and analyze the data they have collected on the expedition. Students will participate in a final challenge activity and then reunite with their parents for the festivities. The final celebration will include student presentation reflecting on their time in the course as a team, their personal growth, and the results of their research.
COURSE SKILLS
Seamanship and Sailing
Boat handling skills, sailing and seamanship
Rowing
Coastal piloting and navigation
Coastal cruising and live aboard skills
Tides, currents, and weather forecasting
Anchoring
Craftsmanship and building with wood
Tools, purpose, using safely
Designing projects
The building process
STEM Skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Engineering design
Observation
Scientific questioning
Data collection and analysis in the field
Marine biology and ecology
Rock Climbing (weather dependent)
Belaying and rope handling
System safety
Climbing technique
Rappelling
Group Dynamics
Leadership and decision making
Followership and expedition behavior
Communication and conflict resolution
Goal setting
Expedition Skills
Emergency preparedness
Safety management and basic first aid
On board shelter construction
Outdoor cooking
Nutrition and rationing
Conservation practices
Ropes and knots
Leave No Trace wilderness ethics