SUPERKIDS

The Downtown Sailing Center is committed to making sailing more accessible to inner-city residents and, in particular, to disadvantaged youth. Children who participate in week-long sailing programs show improvement in their self-confidence, listening skills and maturity—all attributes that help them learn better and succeed in school.

SuperKids Camp is a citywide youth reading program sponsored by the Parks and People Foundation. The program targets third- and fourth grade Baltimore City children reading below grade level in the summer---the period during which children's retention of reading skills declines most rapidly. The goal is to stimulate children to read by linking reading with exciting hands-on activities including dance, music, art, the environment and the DSC's one-week sailing adventure.

Students sail in groups on keelboats with an instructor and an adult volunteer and sail individually on Access 10 dinghies with just an instructor. They learn basic sailing skills including principles of sailing, boat rigging, sail handling, sail trim, water safety, and nautical vocabulary.

The DSC was first invited to participate in SuperKids Camp in 1997. That year, the DSC hosted approximately 400inner-city children. Since then, more than 3000 children have experienced the joy of sailing at the DSC. This requires an army of spirited volunteers, a dedicated instructor corps, and a flotilla of boats. The DSC is pleased to provide it all.