TopSail Youth Program is an interactive educational program created by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute. Located in the Port of Los Angeles, TopSail provides an “education and adventure” experience aboard one of the programs tall ships to the youth of L.A.
The hands-on environment of tall boat sailing transforms conceptual ideas in subjects such as geography, history, physics, oceanography, etc. into real life experiences on the sea.
But in addition to learning how to be a part of a sailing crew, volunteer Coordinator Marann Fengler boasts that the program provides valuable life lessons to kids. Sailing education is the formal curriculum, but the youth learn skills like self-reliance, confidence, teamwork, trust, and problem solving.
“We use the whole boat as a platform to get people out of their comfort zone and build character,” she says.
Students in the program come from all different backgrounds, ranging from at-risk youth in mandated community service to kids just interested in staying off the couch on the weekend. But the common denominator is that they all start at square one. All students are randomly divided into groups in which they do all their tasks together.
“We do this to break up cliques, and make everyone on the boat a family", says Fengler. "And once we show them how everything works and the safety rules, they jump right into it.”
Participants in the program take part in every facet of the sailing experience. They cook the meals, clean the deck, scrub the “heads” (toilets), raise and lower the sails, and many other nautical duties. And under supervision from the captain, the kids are even allowed to take turns navigating the 90-foot long wooden vessel.
"Initiative is rewarded in this environment,” says Capt. Rob Laymond, the self-described spiritual advisor, EMT, clown, and activity leader aboard the Exy Johnson. “Of course we give them rules to keep us and them safe, but whatever they want to do, we let them.”
Long-time volunteer Diana Osberg sees how this positive reinforcement is a confidence and self-esteem booster for the kids.
“A lot of adults don’t listen to kids. They just want to tell them things,” says Osberg, “But part of building self-esteem is that you voice counts. That your voice is important, and that you’re important.”
Osberg has been volunteering with TopSail on and off for the last seven years. She took some time away from the program, due to a full-time work schedule and other volunteering obligations. But her ship adventures with the youth was something Osberg couldn’t keep away from.
“The kids are great. They are like a second family,” she says. “You see the light come in their eyes when they’re on the ship, and you wish you had more time with them.”
Another volunteer, Flash Johnson, echoed her sentiments. After working in a summer aquatic program with inner-city youth from Akron, Ohio, Johnson got involved in the program after meeting a tall ship sailor while bartending a wedding in Texas. Johnson feels fortunate to be able to mentor youth, even if he came to TopSail in a “round about” way.
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| Captain Laymond |
“I wake up every morning and still think I made the right choice,” says Johnson.
TopSail provides a space for volunteers and participants of all ages, ranging from as kids as young as 10 to volunteers as old as 80. Erin Kagan is a member of Youth Crew who graduated to become a volunteer. Erin started coming to TopSail when he was 11, and appreciates the positive impact the program has had on his life.
“It helped with public speaking, I used to be very shy,” says Kagan, who is now 16. “In the classroom, you can’t speak really loud or get out what you want to say. But here, you can yell as loud as you want, and people will listen to you.”
TopSail charges participants on a group-rate basis, but also takes investments and donations to offset some of the nonprofit program’s expenses. But funding hasn’t been a huge obstacle for TopSail. Since its launch in 2002, TopSail has almost 3000 participants per year. As long as youth are signing up, volunteers will keeping being positive influences that can send kids sailing smoothly towards their bright futures.
“The world tells them what they can’t do, for good and bad reasons” says Laymond, “but when they’re on this ship, we’re only here to show them what they can do.”
Reporter Joshua Adams talks to TopSail volunteer Diana Osberg