Spirit Of America Foundation Inc

Programs: 'teaching the way our children learn' we have, for nearly 24 years, believed in providing a traditional standardized educational program in a non-traditional classroom. We know that our young people have learned and retained more efficiently in our hands on program incorporating national education standards and infinite components of steam (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). We believe and we know, that 'if a child cannot learn the way we teach, we should teach the way they learn'. We are fortunate and privileged to provide modified curriculum to 'teach the way our children learn'. Spirit of america believes in our tag lines 'no child left on the dock- and 'future boaters future business', in an effort to build upon the traditional program curriculum to make sure that all children have the opportunity to participate in this national program and have a way to continue to enjoy our natural resources with their families and in their communities. This assures the growth of recreation in the out of doors, community, local and regional opportunity for educational recreational programs and a future resource for our marine industries economic health. In addition to our traditional curriculum we have developed the following national program and additional curriculum components with local partners: establishment of program spirited outreach; boating it forward: spirit of america foundation, with over 22 years providing national and community based educational programs, announces a new and exciting youth outreach program to benefit persons in communities where our graduates are located. Unique to any other program in the united states, young persons will present educational components of boating and water safety education in their own communities. The spirited outreach, boating it forward project was initiated on august 1, 2016. The boating it forward mission: utilizing the graduates of the nationally recognized spirit of america foundation youth boating education programs, our young persons will reach out to their family, friends, and neighbors (ffn) to introduce entire communities to the importance of boating and water safety education, ultimately assisting in saving lives on, in, and near the water. The boating it forward vision includes allowing all of our young graduates, having been educated within a non-traditional 'classroom', the marine environment, to present community education opportunities improving the well-being of their home communities across america. Our graduates will "pay it forward', creating future generations of 'safe-smart' boaters. The goal of the program being to deliver basic boating and water safety instruction to family, friends, and neighbors (ffn) focusing on the following components: life jackets carriage requirements overloading, swamping and capsizing education and age / vessel restrictions rules of the road aids to navigation float plans cold water immersion prevention presentations may be made in places such as school, scouting programs, community retail establishments as a 'point of sale' educational tool, sport team meetings, and family and other social gatherings. Establishment of seaworthy project program: using the marine environment to improve the academic opportunities and provide for the well-being, independence, and life sustaining vocations of persons with disabilities. Seaworthy will create a non-traditional model of hands on curriculum, providing standardized educational components, in an inclusive and social environment. Operating during the school year students will participate in a curriculum which permits all students to grow, becoming emotionally and physically, confident, competent and independent. Students will receive a 'certificate of proficient successful completion- or 'participation of milestones', through age and ability appropriate curriculum. The seaworthy project was initiated on october 1, 2016 at shake-a-leg miami and included 180 young adults in the inaugural program through the end of the school year 2017. Establishment of brendan sailing partnership: the spirit of america foundation (spirit) and the brendan corporation (brendan), with a combined 53 years' experience educating young persons on the water, have announced a new formal partnership. The two organizations, sharing similar missions of building confidence and personal growth in a healthy and social recreational boating environment, will provide and will enable students through a unique opportunity to participate in a range of the spirit's boating education modules to enhance their brendan experience. The opportunity includes learning basic boating and safety operations on board recreational vessels covering all disciplines (i. E. Sailboats, powerboats, canoes, kayaks, standup paddle boards, etc. ) spirit's golden eagle and seaworthy programs, which serve youth with intellectual or physical challenges, synergistically aligns with the brendan program's learning approach, allowing brendan students to expand their boating education experiences to a variety of watercraft. The mission includes using the marine environment to improve the well-being, independence, and life sustaining opportunities of persons with disabilities, on a national level. The vision includes making available our spirit of america non-traditional, hands-on curriculum which includes national on-water and knowledge-based standards of education, providing these standardized educational components in a healthy, social environment and a 'certificate of proficient successful completion' of each milestones, through age and ability appropriate curriculum in a timeline considerate of each student's needs. The curriculum includes valuable educational experiences, which permits all students to grow, becoming emotionally and physically, confident, competent young mariners. The spirit of america foundation proudly partners with the brendan corporation in an effort to provide a brendan program in all of its locations. Present traditional spirit of america partnering locations: ohio north carolina south carolina florida hawaii maryland tennessee virginia washington dc approximate number of volunteers in national partnering programs: 500