CYC Foundation Introduces New Maritime Academy

“I’ve never been on the water – and seeing the sunset over the city was great.”

- Marcus Davis

July 14, 2022

Chicago teen Marcus Davis graduated from the CYC Foundation’s Maritime Academy this month with not only a range of new nautical skills – but also a summer job.

Marcus recently completed 18 hours of training led by CYC members Captain Bill Russell and Captain Jerry Miarecki from the Chicago Maritime School, learning everything from line handling and firefighting to CPR and first aid skills. The new Foundation initiative was designed to teach Chicagoland teens the skills needed to work on Chicago’s many commercial boats – and then help them find jobs. Prospective employers were on hand following the Foundation’s Maritime Academy graduation at the Chicago Yacht Club in early July, and Marcus was offered a job as a deckhand for a Chicago charter company run by Captain Cortney Scott.

Beyond looking forward to a well-paying job on the water this summer, Marcus said he now hopes to one day buy a boat and start his own charter company. He said that while CPR was the most valuable skill he learned, the highlight of the program for him was seeing Lake Michigan and the city in a new light.

“I’ve never been on the water – and seeing the sunset over the city was great,” he said.

Marcus was one of nearly 30 Chicagoland teens who participated in the inaugural season of the Foundation’s Maritime Academy. The two training programs held to date included teens from Fathers Who Care, a community group based in West Garfield Park as well as students from Chicago’s Bowen High School and Rickover Naval Academy.  

The first Foundation Maritime Academy class graduated in June with a dinner at the Chicago Yacht Club followed by a job fair with prospective employers including City Experiences, Chicago Line Cruises and Wendella. 

“Several of our kids got job offers and sign-on bonuses that night,” said Ann Rundle, chairperson of the CYC Foundation Maritime Academy Committee.

The Foundation has included educational programs and a focus on introducing Chicagoland kids to boating and maritime opportunities for many years, Ann said. “But this program elevates our educational programming to a new level. We’re not just exposing kids to boating or offering training on nautical skills. We’re giving kids the skills they need to find jobs on commercial boats – and then helping them find those jobs,” she said.

The life skills kids learn through the program will stay with them long after their summer jobs end, Ann added. 

“Our hope is to empower the kids to see all that they can do. Skills like CPR and first aid may also help them make a difference in someone else’s life down the road,” she said.

Captain Cortney, who hired several Foundation Maritime Academy graduates following the July session, spoke at the second graduation and encouraged the kids to dream big and put the skills they’ve learned to good use. Captain Cortney, who grew up in Cabrini-Green, told the kids he regretted not taking advantage of opportunities like a maritime training program and connections to maritime job and career prospects when he was younger. 

“Take advantage of the opportunity now. This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

With nearly as many young women graduating from the Foundation’s Maritime Academy as young men, two women charter boat captains, Captain Lakeisha Johnson and Captain Tiffany Taylor, also were on hand to offer the graduates deckhand positions as well as advice. Captain Tiffany encouraged the kids to be role models for their friends. 

“Bring up people with you. Introduce your friends to this industry,” she said. “And make sure you speak up for yourself. Closed mouths don’t get fed.”