Children’s Maritime Foundation

www.americanpride.org

Organization Type:
Non-Profit

Mission:
The mission of the Children’s Maritime Foundation is to enrich the minds and transform the lives of youth through emersion in a maritime learning environment. Providing shipboard learning experiences, offering hands-on activities, while stressing leadership, teamwork, and communication are hallmarks of our programs.

Contact:
Helen Clinton
Children’s Maritime Foundation
4676 Lakeview Ave #109-E
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Phone: (714) 970-8801
Fax: (714) 970-8474
theamericanpride@aol.com

Geographical Focus:
Regional

Counties Served:
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside

Activities:
Education, Recreation

Topic:
Beaches, Boating, Coastal Access, Coastal Processes, Cultural History, Endangered Species, Fisheries, Islands, Kelp Forest, Open Ocean/Oceanography, Rocky Intertidal, Wildlife

Educational Resources:
On-Site Programs, Field Trips, Publications, Brochures, Website

Education Programs:
Marine Life Exploration
December through April we enjoy the annual near shore migration of the Gray Whales. While keeping a sharp lookout for whales and other marine mammals, students will see a fish dissection, explore our touch tank, and help raise the sails.

Catalina Island Exploration
Set sail aboard the American Pride for a fun filled, multi-dimensional program that incorporates marine biology, geology, anthropology, eco-systems and environmental issues. Students will enjoy a leisurely discovery hike viewing geological formations, historic points, mud flats, tide pools, and the unique plant and animal life of the Island. While at the Isthmus, students will have fun swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and enjoying a beach barbecue with campfire songs and stories. Throughout the voyage, we will be comparing water samples from each site looking at temperature, clarity, and salinity. We will do a fish dissection, looking at its adaptations and comparing it to the human anatomy. Students will explore the world of plankton with a trawl, examining our findings under a microscope and then building their own plankton. Students will keep a daily log of their findings and participate in exciting discussions of their activities and experiences.

Sailor’s Ahoy
Students venture out to sea as American Pride sets sail in the waters off Southern California. In this exciting adventure, the "Lads" will relive the history of a 19th century sailor. They raise the sails, stand watch, navigate, and man the ships helm, under the watchful eye of a demanding captain and crew.

Making of a Sailor
A program aboard American Pride that engages the students in challenging and fun shipboard activities while "at dock". The "Lads" will ready the ship for it's voyage around Cape Horn, and develop a working knowledge of physics, while doing such shipboard tasks as hoisting barrels, etc. Students will learn chanteys and nautical lore, and have an opportunity to ask questions as they take a ship tour. The tour is in the company of historical characters, who will help them better understand a typical sailor's life on board a sailing vessel of the 1800's.

Gold Fever
It is 1850, we are bound for San Francisco and there is a whisper of gold in all the "Lads" ears. California is a brand new state and news has spread far and wide about fortunes to be made in the gold fields. All are rarin' to go strike it RICH!! Before the students can go they must first book passage with the shipping agent. Once aboard, the students are immersed overnight into the activities of preparing the ship for the long trip to the gold fields. You don't know who your shipmates are or what they have in store for you!

Manifest Destiny
An 18-hour Overnight Program. Challenging activities help recreate lives of emigrants caught in the great expansion period, who have signed on as common sailors of the 1850's. They learn through hands on experience, such as, standing night watch, hoisting barrels, swabbing the deck, singing chanteys and most importantly dealing with a demanding and challenging crew in period costumes!

Target Audiences:
4th-12th Grade, General Public

Group Size Accommodated:
Up to 100

In-Service Training:
Naturalists, Docents/Volunteers:
We provide training for naturalists that are employed with us on the different habitats we visit (kelp forests, tide pools, mud flats, chaparral, open ocean and beach) and the different curriculum we use. We provide our volunteers with training on sailing the boat and on basic ocean habitats.

Volunteer Opportunities

Internship Opportunities

Disabled Access:
We try to accommodate people of all abilities. The American Pride does NOT have an ADA ramp or bathroom facilities aboard, but we will accommodate as best we can. We routinely have students in wheelchairs aboard and assist them when necessary in boarding, getting around on board and using the restroom facilities.