Children's Maritime Institute

Help More Youth Sail Full STEAM Ahead in Long Beach

The Children’s Maritime Institute (CMI) is the Long Beach division of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI), and it was established in 2018 when we acquired American Pride, a three-masted schooner that was previously named the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach. Following CMI's untimely official launch on March 13, 2020, we were forced to halt in-person programming, but we are proud of our agile efforts to provide virtual education, a portion of which was conducted from American Pride in Rainbow Harbor. Since returning to in-person programming, our team has been reconnecting with schools we’ve served in the area, while creating relationships with new schools and other potential partners. Your support will help us continue to grow our impact in Long Beach!

When you donate to the Children’s Maritime Institute through Long Beach Gives or any other time, you are helping more local youth make discoveries about themselves, their abilities and the world around them in our unique, safe and exciting environment - based in Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor - with the support of our dedicated crew. This includes opportunities for character and skill-building, as well as seeing real-life examples of the STEAM concepts they study in school - something we've been doing for more than 30 years!

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OUR PROGRAM

Every day, young people make discoveries about themselves, their abilities and the world around them through our TopSail Youth Program, whether it’s dockside in Long Beach or San Pedro, or aboard one of our tall ships sailing around the harbor. Our crew guides upper elementary, middle and high school students through the various activities required to operate a complex sailing vessel, as well as specific STEAM lessons tailored to the group’s grade levels and educational priorities.

Hands-on activities such as working together to set sails, examining marine life, testing water quality and various challenge-by-choice activities around the ship bring STEAM subjects to life, create excitement around learning, strengthen their connection to others and nature, and help them develop valuable skills such as critical thinking and teamwork. Since only a small portion of the youth we serve have been on a boat prior to participating in our program, it also levels the playing field as they face their fears and try new things together.

With unparalleled access to the coastal ecosystems in and around the Port of Long Beach, students are exposed to marine wildlife from an offshore perspective, as well as numerous careers/vocations available in such a unique setting. That's one reason why our program has a rich history of fostering environmental awareness, as well as inspiring young people to pursue maritime and STEM-related fields. 

OUR SUCCESSES

We see positive results on every sail - every time a participant decides to bravely climb aloft, gives a sail-handling command louder than they’ve ever yelled, steps in to show a friend how to properly belay a line, shows emotions over the plastic in a bird’s gut, or squeals excitedly at the sight of a sea lion or dolphin. More often than not, the positive impact is longitudinal - many students decide to pursue careers or vocations in maritime or STEM-related fields after sailing with us. You can learn about one example when you read Ella’s story here!

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