Tall Ship STEM Cruises

See more:

• View the photo gallery.

• View the action in a video.

• Read the July 2023 Beacon article.

• View the 2023 program flyer.

"For them to be on a sailboat, and really see what it takes to man the sails—and really understand the STEM behind it—that's something we wouldn't be able to provide outside of this partnership."
—Anabel Hernandez, Program Director, Union League Boys and Girls Clubs

“They showed us a bunch of things I never learned before; things I never thought I would learn. I learned how to set a sail, how to coil a rope, how to steer, how to navigate.”
—Kaylin Perez, teen participant

In collaboration with the Inland Seas Education Association, eight half-day sails aboard the 77-foot gaff-rigged tall ship Inland Seas introduced nearly 200 Chicago-area youth from six different community organizations to sailing, Great Lakes ecology, and teamwork. Partner organizations included the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, Fathers Who Care, Adults Active in Youth Development, the University of Chicago Charter School—Woodlawn, UCAN Chicago, and My Block My Hood My City.