Young Mariners
Learn. Sail. Achieve.
Young Mariners is a unique sailing and academic program for middle school students that instills accountability, teamwork and leadership while promoting a close and supportive sense of community. Based at the new Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center on Stamford Harbor, Young Mariners welcomes students after school throughout the school year in separate fall, winter and spring sessions and full day during the summer. Students receive academic support in math and science from Stamford Public Schools teachers and SoundWaters educators and sailing instruction from US Sailing-certified sailing instructors, learning to sail larger and increasingly complex boats as they progress through the program.
Registration for Young Mariners will open on Wednesday, December 18 at 7:00am.
Young Mariners offers middle school students (entering grades 6-9) a special combination of sailing, marine science, and personal development. Learning through small-group, project-based activities in a supportive environment, students are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zone to strengthen personal and academic skills that will launch them into their next school year with confidence and positive momentum. Young Mariners is a summer of fun, friendships, and personal growth.
Students must commit to all 3 weeks of the program, have basic swimming skills and be comfortable in the water.
Young Mariners operates out of the Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center in Boccuzzi Park.
Summer 2025 Program Dates:
Session 1: June 16 – July 3, 2025
Session 2: July 7 – July 25, 2025
Session 3: July 28 – August 15, 2025
Program Hours:
9:00am – 4:00pm
Program Cost: To be announced
Financial aid is available for students eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch. Please see the scholarship information page for additional details.
Plovers – Entering 6th Grade
Plovers sail the Optimist class dinghy, a single-handed boat. The curriculum is based on the the US Sailing Beginning Small Boat Sailor program. Students learn the basics of points of sail, right of way, marine safety, tacking and jibing. Students also learn the mechanics of sailing, and how to rig and de-rig their boat. A great emphasis is placed on self-reliance and independence.
The classroom curriculum is based on CT state standards for Science (5th and 6th grade). The program teaches these standards in relation to sailing and marine life. This includes such areas as tides, currents, astronomy, mapping and charting and marine biology. There is also a literature component, with students reading and analyzing “Voyage of the Frog”.
2025 Program dates:
Session 1: TBA
Session 2: TBA
Session 3: TBA
Program Hours:
9:00am – 4:00pm
Program Cost: To be announced
Financial aid is available for students on free or reduced lunch. Please see the scholarship information page for additional details.
Herons – Entering 7th Grade
Herons sail the RS Feva class dingy, a two-handed boat. The curriculum is again based on the US Sailing Beginning Small Boat Sailor program. Sailors continue to refine their basic sailing skills, including points of sail, boat handling, marine and boat safety, and rigging and de-rigging their new boats. Students also begin to learn the basics of sailing racing. A major goal of the Blue group sailing curriculum is teamwork and problem solving.
The academic portion of the second-year curriculum is based on the CT State Standards in Mathematics (6th and 7th grade). The program teaches these standards in relation to sailing, focusing on timing, coordinate work, geometry, charting, and solving for variables. There is also a literary component, with students reading and discussing relevant non-fiction articles.
2025 Program dates:
Session 1: TBA
Session 2: TBA
Session 3: TBA
Program Hours:
9:00am – 4:00pm
Program Cost: To be announced
Financial aid is available for students on free or reduced lunch. Please see the scholarship information page for additional details.
Ospreys – Entering 8th & 9th Grade
Ospreys sail the 420s with a curriculum based on the US Sailing Intermediate Boat Handling skills. Sailors continue to refine their boat handling skills, adding in more advanced techniques such as roll-tacking. The curriculum heavily emphasizes racing skills and strategies. Independence and problem-solving are the primary goals of the program.
Ospreys classroom curriculum is primarily based on the CT state standards for Social Studies. The curriculum focuses on ecology, geography, and maritime history. Geography and ecology are taught in relation to Long Island Sound. History is taught with a focus on US maritime and naval history. There is also a literature component, with students reading and analyzing various Jack London short stories with a maritime theme.
2025 Program dates:
Session 1: TBA
Session 2: TBA
Session 3: TBA
Program Hours:
9:00am – 4:00pm
Program Cost: To be announced
Financial aid is available for students on free or reduced lunch. Please see the scholarship information page for additional details.
What They’re Saying
“This is a program about the whole child and how to help each girl and boy to face the new school year with confidence, skills, and excitement .”
–Parent
1
1
Sailing builds confidence, teamwork and friendships at Young Mariners Academy.
