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Posted 07.13.04 Sailing Through School The New York Daily News, April 21, 2002 By Gretchen Weber After five straight days of sailing down the Hudson River, a fearless crew of 11 students and their four instructors triumphantly rounded the Statue of Liberty on a recent Saturday, slicing through whitecapped, choppy waters. Dwarfed by tankers and ferries in the busy waterway, their pair of 26-foot wooden boats resembled craft George Washington might have used to defend Manhattan from the British. "Was it worth it?" asked one of the instructors as crowds at the base of the statue waved and took pictures of the bundled-up, smiling sailors perched on the decks of the open boats. "Oh, yeah," said 17-year-old Kayon Pryce. "It was definitely worth it." A junior at George Westinghouse High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Kayon lived in the island nation of Jamaica until he was 9. Like most of the students aboard, he had never sailed before this trip. "I love it," Kayon said. "I learned so much this week: the different parts of the boat, how to set sail, lay anchor, and steer the tiller. Everybody's working together to get stuff done." Floating classroom The journey began a week earlier, 50 miles upstream in Garrison, just across the river from West Point. Along the way, the students learned how to sail when there was wind - and how to row with 10-foot oars when there was not. "I never want to row again," said 14-year-old Claire Kazar of Manhattan, peeling back bandages to reveal yellow blisters on her palms. Founded in 1987, the New York City Outward Bound Center works with 15 of the city's poorest schools to improve education through programs that boost teamwork, build character and increase student engagement. Funded primarily by private donors, Outward Bound injects adventure and challenge into learning, both in and out of the classroom. The Hudson River sailing trip is run by Outward Bound's Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Service, which leads eight to 10 weekend trips a year for more than 70 students. Alternative education The service's programs range from backpacking in the Adirondacks to rock climbing in the Catskills to resume and cover-letter workshops at Outward Bound's base in Long Island City. The service also offers in-school literacy and environmental science programs. "We're giving students an alternative to the form of education they get in the public schools," said Dave Zodda, director of the Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Service. "It's more experiential and hands-on. It's empowering because they are so involved in their own education." Students participate in all aspects of the sailing trip. After an initial day of instruction and preparation, they are on their own. Instructors try not to interfere, except when necessary for safety. Students sail and anchor the boat, navigate with maps, cook meals and set up sleeping quarters each night - a line of thick wooden oars laid across the boat's hard benches. "This trip is for someone who likes to try new things, likes adrenaline and likes to have fun," said Stacey-dee Griffiths, 16, of Brooklyn, who was the week's only unintentional "man overboard." "We did a little bonding last night, me and the water," Stacey-dee said. Copyright 2002 Daily News, L.P. |
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