Goals and Objectives
Provide Engaging Out-Of-School-Time Programming
Community Boating Center is meeting a pressing need for engaging out-of-school-time programming and enrichment activities in Providence and the greater Rhode Island area. CBC outreach efforts provide an engaging, instructive, and fun environment for elementary, middle, and high school youth. The learning experience is vital for at-risk youth, particularly sailing and paddling’s insistence on teamwork and collaboration. Youth in Providence and surrounding communities are treated to the uniqueness of CBC sailing and paddling programs, while being offered an alternative to unsupervised afternoons and summer days.
Foster a Desire for Further Learning
The CBC experience also fosters a desire for further learning – either in advanced sailing programs or other educational, artistic, or athletic programs. Regardless of age, race, ethnicity or gender, the engaging nature of sailing and paddling, through Community Boating Center maritime programs, has a significant impact on youth and families to pursue further educational objectives. These highly transferable learning skills and newly acquired confidence are essential building blocks for further engagement in continuing education and future developmental growth.
Establish Accessible, Affordable and Diverse Recreational Activities
Sailing and paddling provide an excellent recreational outlet to the environment that allows children and adults to gain a firsthand understanding and appreciation for the natural resources in their community – namely Narragansett Bay. The ability of Community Boating Center to attract people from diverse backgrounds to recreate together creates a very strong and lasting community impact.
Provide Life-Skills Education
Sailing and paddling instruction is secondary to the real learning that takes place on the water. The look on a child’s face that has just “captained” a boat for the first time describes the essence of the experience. Youth gain an extreme sense of accomplishment and growth in confidence of skills and abilities. Sailing and paddling offer myriad virtues and life lessons, particularly for at-risk youth. The sport requires an unmatched combination of physical skills, intelligence, sound judgment, self-reliance and responsibility for vessel, crew and self. Youth from varied backgrounds come together and learn tolerance, trust and respect for each other.
Increased Family Involvement
We feel strongly that student school performance improves when parental involvement increases at home, school, and in recreational activities. Our ability to offer sailing and paddling to both parents and students allows parents to introduce educational experiences into family activities and/or create relevant learning opportunities outside of school to help contribute to improvements in school achievement.
Increased School and Community Program Partnering
We believe that a very valuable strength in our model is in our community partnerships. From an economic perspective, partnerships provide extreme cost and time efficiency allowing us to access resources and expertise that already exist. Additionally, the synergy created by partners with complimentary strengths helps to create a powerful situation where creativity and innovation can flourish. Combined with strong management and coordination, CBC has the infrastructure to develop further partnerships and strengthen the bonds with our current school and community associates and partners. Our premier school and community partners include Providence After School Alliance, Paul Cuffee School, Providence Recreation, Boys & Girls Club of Providence, Gordon School, Calcutt Middle School, The MET, Times2, UCAP, and many others.
Our Role in the Community
Capitalizing on Rhode Island’s Greatest Resource & Rich Traditions
Rhode Island’s greatest natural resource is Narragansett Bay. For generations it has been regarded as one of the best sailing and boating grounds in the world, attracting racers and cruisers from around the world. Unfortunately, most Rhode Islanders of average means have only been able to enjoy the bay from ashore. CBC is changing all that. It makes good sense for the Ocean State to have a program that makes sailing and paddling accessible and affordable to all while encouraging environmentally appropriate use of upper Narragansett Bay. It makes good sense for CBC to continue Rhode Island’s rich seafaring tradition by helping restore the Providence waterfront to the center of activity it once was. It makes great sense to ensure that children are foremost in our plans.
Quality Out-Of-School-Time Programming
Community Boating Center is committed to providing quality out-of-school-time programming and enrichment activities for elementary, middle, and high school youth in Providence and the greater Rhode Island area. The Ocean State offers a unique opportunity to utilize sailing and paddling as an engaging medium to help influence these students to achieve higher levels of school success. The complex nature of sailing and paddling enables students to build upon skills and attributes associated with positive, holistic youth development. The dynamics associated with sailing and paddling encourages physical and emotional health, strong peer and adult relationships, and well-developed creative problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.
Good for Families – Good for the City
Supporting CBC is also a way to do something good for families of average means who cannot afford to own their own boat and for people looking for an affordable leisure activity. CBC is the only Rhode Island program north of Newport that offers the general public both lessons and access to boats for recreational sailing and paddling. Upon completion of a beginner sailing class or checkout test, members can take their families sailing or paddling on CBC boats on evenings and weekends all season long for no additional fee. An active sailing and paddling program at India Point Park also adds to the quality of city life and helps advance Providence’s image as a waterfront city. Charleston, Boston, San Francisco and our own Newport are good examples of the positive impact a bustling waterfront can have on enriching residential life — Especially for those in need of accessible, affordable family activities.
Sailing Teaches the Lessons of Life
Non-sailors may ask, “why sailing?” when Providence already has organizations that offer a variety of sports and recreational activities for low and moderate-income youth and families. For the child at risk or adrift on Providence streets, there are few, if any, activities that teach so many important virtues and lessons about life the way sailing does: cause and effect, problem-solving, science and technology, teamwork, and much more. Sailing requires an unmatched combination of physical skills, intelligence, sound judgment, self-reliance, and significant responsibilities for vessel, crew and self. Boys and girls from different cultures and backgrounds work together, learning tolerance, trust and respect for one another. Plus, its just plain great fun! Imagine how students in elementary, middle, and high school must feel being trusted to take a sailboat out all-alone.
Those who test their mettle against wind and sea and master the mechanics of a complex sailing vessel are rewarded with a new sense of self-worth and pride in accomplishment. It is not unusual to find that kids who never excelled in any other activity “find their niche” in sailing. Most important, these kids can continue to enjoy the sport because CBC makes it accessible and affordable. The Community Boating Center complements other youth programs and adds a new dimension to helping kids develop the qualities needed to succeed in life.