spirit of the sea

Ocean Adventures with a Purpose


Our Mission: To bring the spirit of the sea to youth with hands-on experiences aboard a sailing vessel in order to educate and inspire new awareness, perspectives, and initiative regarding the oceans, the environment, their communities, and themselves

Our Goal: To provide a meaningful marine experience to every middle- and high-school-aged youth in the San Francisco Bay area, but we especially seek to provide services at no cost to those who are at risk, disadvantaged, suffering illness, or who would uniquely benefit from or otherwise not have an opportunity to sail.

OUR COMMITMENT

Ocean Adventures with a PurposeOcean Adventures with a Purpose

We inspire kids, create new awareness, empower, and teach them about the marine environment from the deck of an ocean going 64’ sailing research vessel.

What we do:What we do:


Who we serve:Who we serve: We serve at-risk and disadvantaged kids and kids with life threatening diseases or other special needs, all at no cost to their families or youth groups.

We have worked with a number of Bay Area Youth Groups (partial list)~ Berkeley Booster’s and Oakland PAL (Police Activities League)~ Nancy’s Club and Kaiser Permanente (children with cancer)~ SOAR For Youth (foster kids)~ Contra Costa Interfaith Housing (formerly homeless children)~ Tenderloin After School Program (inner city children)~ College Preparatory School’s Partner Program (inner city children)~ Youths Alive’s Teens on Target program (teen violence prevention)~ Sierra School of Sonoma (learning and emotionally challenged children)~ Alameda County Office of Education (truancy program)~ SLWRP Program with 27 Alameda County County School Teachers


The Groups we serve

The children we serve represent a large range of cultural diversity


The Challenge:Humans are dependent upon a healthy, productive ocean: it covers most of ourplanet, is the source of most life on Earth, regulates our weather and climate,provides most of our oxygen, absorbs half of the carbon put into the atmosphere,and feeds large parts of the human population.The health of our oceans is in jeopardy. Threats include overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, oil spills, climate change invasive species, loss of biodiversity and more. Despite these increasing threats, most people remain unaware of the issues affecting and damaging our oceans. The need to increase awareness and inspire action to save the oceans is critical.The Opportunity:Children are the key to reaching and teaching adults. While there is a strong push to improve student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), ocean and aquatic sciences are among the most under-represented disciplines in K-12 educational curricula. Research indicates that adults look to young people for guidance on environmental issues. And while adults remain the “decision makers”, children are increasingly becoming “opinion makers”


The Solution: Provide ~ well planned sailing and science activities on board Ocean Watch that are aligned with Ocean Literacy Principals, STEM standards and others~ a meaningful,outdoor marine adventure experience~ the latest in scientific discovery and research through our partnership with the SF State Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies~ trained on board educators (both crew and guest experts)~ hands on experiences that are not available in a class room in order to educate and inspire new awareness, perspectives and initiative regarding the ocean~ face-to-face opportunities to learn the basics of scientific inquiry , role models in the marine sciences and exposure to new career paths and opportunities


Our educational program is based on the following:

~ 7 principals of Ocean Literacy :

~ Experimental education

~ Adventure education

~ STEM Philosophy

~ State and Federal Standards for Education

~ Citizen Science

~ Service Learning

~ Action Research

~ Guest experts and formal educators


Ocean Literacy isan understanding ofthe ocean’s influenceon you andyour influenceon the ocean.


Our Advisors and Partners: How we ensure that our science activities are valid and are up to date with the latest knowledge and practices~ San Francisco State Universities Romberg Tiburon Center

for Environmental Studies (http://rtc.sfsu.edu/)

~ The Marine Mammal Center (http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/

~ Oikonos http://www.oikonos.org/)

~ A group of Alameda County School District Teachers (27 or more) who are participatng in the Service Learning Waste Reduction Project (http://schools.stopwaste.org/)

~ Assorted experts in their fields


Spirit of the Sea cultivates critical thinking skill, perseverance, teamwork and leadership. This knowledge and experience will enable our participants to make better choices in life.

Why we teach:Why we teach: life skills

“If people feel they understand the world around them...(then they) feel that they can make a difference through their decisions and their activities--Exploratorium Founder, Dr. Frank Oppenheimer


“In the end, we will only conserve what we love. We will only love what we understand. We will only understand what we are taught.“ African environmentalist Baba Dioum


The Benefits to our participants~ A new perspective and a new awareness and initiative regarding the oceans, the environment, their communities, and themselves~ An understanding of the ocean’s influence on us and on the world and our influence on the ocean~ An awareness that they have the ability to take action, be effective and influence their own lives, and assume responsibility for their own behaviors. ~ Cultivation of critical thinking skills, perseverance and leadership and a broader sense of community, team work and self.~ Our goal as educators is to create life-long learners who are engaged, enthusiastic and interested in their surroundings, and connected to the world around them.


Captain Richard GilletteCaptain Richard Gillette~ 10 years as volunteer taking children sailing with a lifetime of working with children~ Director of Operations for the Pegasus Project (4 yrs)~ USCG Licensed 100 Ton Master w/ STCW Safety Sail & Tow endorsements.~ A passionate advocate who excites volunteers, partners, and children with his vision, enthusiasm, and humanity~ Founder, Executive Director and Board member of Spirit of the Sea~ Recently received the Bay Area Jefferson Award for his work with children and was featured on CBS TV and and radio segments and featured in newspaper articles~ Named an Unsung Hero by Latitude 38 Sail Magazine

Ocean Adventures with a PurposeOcean Adventures with a PurposeHow we do it:How we do it: trained volunteer

sailors


Educators & ScientistsHow we do it:How we do it:

Director Lisa Gentile, M.Ed. Sharon Trahan is a certified Waldorf teacher

Carol Keiper is a marine biologist

Erin Blackwood- education coordinatorat the Romberg Tiburon Center

Mike Dvorak Phd Stanford, lecturer UC Berkeley

Wind Energy expert


How we do it:How we do it:Ocean Watch~ 1st American Sailboat to transit West to East

through the Northwest Passage~ 1st sailboat to circumnavigate North, Central and South America an historic 28,000 mile passage through the Northwest Passage and around Cape Horn as part of the Around the America’s project- ~ 64’ Steel, 44 ton seaworthy Research vessel that is ideal as a scientific and teaching platform


A ““PortholePorthole”” to knowledge and opportunity

Spirit of the SeaSpirit of the Sea’’s s WebsiteWebsite

~ It helps us manage, coordinate, and inform our volunteers, partners, participants and supporters~ Provides important organizational information for our partnering youth groups, participants, volunteers, donors and media~ Participants and crew will be able to see voyage photo’s and blog about their trip and read about recent and upcoming activities and see a roster of our sponsors~ It will be a constantly evolving resource for our young participants, with follow up activities and ways to make a difference and get involved~ links to sites for ocean literacy, marine sciences, environmental news, career opportunities and other related topics for them to continue learning Sea Grant Marine Careers: http://www.marinecareers.net, Whale Sounds: http://www.whalesounds.com/


•Eighty percent of consumers say that corporate support of causes wins their trust in that company

•Seventy-nine percent of consumers would switch brands to support a cause they care about (price and quality being

equal)- and for Millenials (ages eighteen through twenty-four) it’s 88 percent.

•Ninety two percent of consumers have a more positive image of a company that supports a cause they care about.

• These trends are emblematic of a new economy- a social capital market- that appreciates the economic value of social change and is willing to pay for it.

Cone, Inc. “Past. Present. Future. The 25th Anniversary of Cause Marketing (2008)

Facts:Facts:


According to a recent survey by Kelly Services Inc., • 90 percent of people surveyed said that they are more likely to work for an organization perceived as ethically and socially responsible.• 53% of Baby Boomers, 48% of Gen Xers (30-47) and 40% of Gen Years (18-29) said they would be prepared to forgo higher pay or a promotion to work for an organization with a good reputation. 31• 72% of employees expect their employer to do more to support a cause or social issue (up from 52% in 2004) 32


You Can Make a difference in the lives of deserving Children:

By donating today


With Your generosityYou can influence their future as well as the future of our ocean planet

By donating today


What you can doWhat you can do

~Join us in motivating and empowering children just like Jasmine to be ambassadors of environmental awareness and change in their families and communities

~Join us in teaching and igniting a sense of curiosity about ocean literacy and marine science in children through hands on exploration and discovery

~Join us in opening up whats possible for at risk, disadvantaged and ill children. Help give them the tools they need to become successful adults!

By donating today


"One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, 'What are you doing?' The youth replied, 'Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die.' 'Son,' the man said, 'don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!' After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said

'I made a difference for that one.'"

The Starfish StoryThe Starfish Story


Captain Richard Gillette2340 Powell St. #212Emeryville, CA 94608

[email protected]

If have any questions, or if you would like to find out more about Spirit of the Sea or how you can join us, please contact Captain Richard. He would love to talk to you about it.

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spirit of the sea

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