BEACON – Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been awarded the Sea Education Program of the Year award for Clearwater’s ground breaking Youth Empowerment Programs. The award was presented to Captain Annika Savio on January 30th at the Tall Ships America conference in Quebec City, Canada.
The Clearwater is an incredibly important tall ship whose history of environmental, place based education is unparalleled. Clearwater’s education programs are historic, influential, and award winning, with origins dating back to 1969.
Since the inception of their learning station based living Classroom program, they have been a leader in shipboard experiential education whose influence is seen throughout the Tall Ships America Member fleet.
Each summer Clearwater runs two Youth Empowerment programs. Specifically, Young Women and Young Men at the Helm stand alone as transformative programs in sail training.
They are free programs for under-represented youths in Hudson River communities. The program challenges students to experience an entirely new and different environment, learn leadership skills through sail training and environmental education, and forces them to depend on each other to help them through the process.
Clearwater Education Director, Dave Conover said, “Clearwater is grateful to receive this award from Tall Ships America. Ever since Pete Seeger and friends conceived of building the sloop, Clearwater has worked to build programs that infuse the magic of sailing a tall ship with an ethic of responsibility to learn about and protect the waters on which we are sailing.”
When Captain Savio accepted the award on Clearwater’s behalf, she asked all members of the audience who have sailed on Clearwater to accept the award with her. “Clearwater’s educational day-sail program has been shared and adapted by numerous tall ships. Clearwater is the people’s boat, which is why I invited everyone to join me on stage; to show how Clearwater brings people together and reaches far and wide in the tall ship community.” said Captain Savio.
During the sailing season Clearwater serves the Hudson River with unique education programs where the focus is experiential. Students come aboard and learn about Hudson River ecology, history and navigation.
Visit https://www.clearwater.org/education/youth-empowerment/ for more on the youth empowerment programs.
– See more at: http://hudsonvalleynewsnetwork.com/2016/02/08/clearwater-receives-sea-education-award/#sthash.KfWFy4zG.dpuf
