Science and Sailing Class is for students in 4th through 6th grades who want to combine sailing lessons with learning about the Bay. The STEM curriculum emphasizes identifying distinct types of pollution and their impact on different aspects of the marine environment. Students then learn what they can do to address the pollution they encounter in their lives.

Using what they learn in the classroom, students perform science experiments about the ecology of the Bay and pollution. They sail to destinations in Clipper Cove and help Bay Area scientists by collecting water samples and reporting their findings. Students use scientific processes, such as observation, compare and contrast, and experimentation, to understand different aspects of the watershed.

At the end of the course, students gain a strong sense of environmental stewardship and a deeper understanding of how they can help protect the Bay. The sailing portion teaches boat safety and basic sailing skills similar to those taught in our beginning sailing courses: basic water safety principles, points of sail, rigging, tacking, parts of the boat, knots, proper sail trim, and steering.