The Junior Sailing Program was developed to teach sailing to eight- to twelve-year-old Chicago inner-city youths. The fleet consists of Vanguard Prams, 7′ 7″ boats, widely used throughout the world in teaching beginners how to sail. The Program is located at several of the beautifully renovated, city water-fed lagoons. The environment is unequaled and is an extremely rare experience for a big city recreational program. This unique approach brings the program to the neighborhood rather than the neighborhood to the program.
Like the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program (JGASP), the Junior Sailing Program is a public/private partnership with the Chicago Park District. The Foundation raises funds for instructor salaries, boats and maintenance costs while the Park District is responsible for the infrastructure. Our goal for inner-city youth is identical to our JGASP mission …helping people to achieve self-esteem and independence.