A generous grant from the St. Francis Sailing Foundation could provide $10,000 for our children and youth programs.  We need to match this $5,000 challenge grant by year- end. Can you please help us help a child learn to sail?

Every $1 you donate by December 31st means our youth programs will receive a $2 contribution toward children and youth sailing programs, community outreach and our innovative Sailing into Schools programs for 4^th graders.  To fully cash in on this matching grant we need to match the $5,000 challenge by the end of the year (Donate On-Line HERE).

 Here’s what your donation ++ match could mean to an underserved Bay Area child:

• Your $540++ donation provides instructors and skippers for TWO Set Sail Learn classes for thirty 4th graders
• Your $350++ donation provides a full week of summer camp for TWO kids
• Your $250++ donations provides SSL bus transportation for THIRTY 4th graders
• Your $175++ donation provides a group orientation sail for TEN youth
• Your $70++ donation provides a full day of summer sailing lessons for TWO kids
• Your $25++ donation provides a group orientation sail for TWO kids

Our goal is to raise $5,000 in the next five weeks in order to match every dollar in this gracious donation.  The resulting $10,000 would mean a lot to kids who depend on TISC fundraising to provide them with the opportunity to learn important life lessons through sailing.

As you plan your year-end giving please consider support for a child, or a group of after-school students or a class of 4th graders.  Your donation in any amount (perhaps your employer has a matching-gift program as well?) is greatly appreciated and can be made quickly and simply using the TISC Secure On-Line Donation Page.

Regards from On the Cove, Dave G

In the wake:

TISC uses sailing as a platform to teach life lessons including goal setting, teamwork, communications, and leadership.  Our higher level objectives are to provide access to the bay, instill a feeling of stewardship, and develop self-esteem.  We raise money for scholarships so that no child is ever turned away in order to reach these objectives.  We’ve included a few 2014 smiles from kids who benefited from your 2013 generosity.

Goal setting is one of the first life lessons taught in our classes. Sailing up wind is not obvious to newbie sailors. That is often one of the first goals – sail west toward San Francisco. These kids mastered that skill.

Teamwork is the easiest of the skills we teach because sailing is all about working together. Setting up, crewing, hauling out and cleaning up all work much better when teamwork kicks in. Parents are a valuable part of our team and often join in for special event.

Parents are a valuable part of our team and often join in for special event.

Our first co-able class took teamwork to a whole new level by forming teams of kids with varying levels and types of disabilities to work together as first-time sailors. TISC joined forces with Bay Area Association of Disable Sailors last summer to run the first-ever Co-Able Sailing Camp on San Francisco Bay.

Communications between skipper and crew can be difficult with new sailors. We often team up more experienced with less experienced kids. Its not unusual to find one of our instructors or junior instructors to hop in a boat with kids to help them tune up these skills.

Leadership skills emerge as experience builds. We see it in small ways weekly and over the course of the summer in our older youth. Many TISC junior instructors have “come up through the ranks” to become excellent full time instructors.

Confidence and self esteem are some of the most important byproducts the TISC sailing program. Many of our summer students have not sailed before their first week of classes. Some have been around the water, most have not. Drills such as capsizing can be scary. After several days I’m amazed at how many kids proclaim “capsizing was the best part of the day”. Confidence at its best!

Community outreach programs provide Bay Area Children and Youth with the opportunity to enjoy San Francisco Bay from aboard a sailboat. These programs run nearly all year long and provide opportunities with youth from over 35 of our partners after school in the spring and fall and during the summer.

We partner with agencies who provide outreach and learning for youth as well as children. These soon-to-be young adults are an ideal age to understand all about bay ecology and stewardship.  They “get it”.

Our Set Sail Learn (SSL) classes provide opportunities to get on the bay – to touch the water, grab a handful of seaweed and take a look at Clipper Cove “residents” large and small. These kids leave with a much better appreciation of the water, wind, tide, sailboats and creatures who hang out here. Great way to develop future bay stewards!

Our innovative SSL experiential learning classes also provide an opportunity for kids to communicate with their classmates and lead discussions.  TISC provides curriculum, bus transportation, instructors, boats and skippers at no charge to SFUSD fourth grade classes.