Youth education
Spaulding Marine Center offers youth programs that combine sailing, woodworking, and environmental learning on a working waterfront. Our programs are hands on, skill based, and designed for young people who learn best by doing. We welcome both beginners and returning students and focus on building confidence, curiosity, and practical skills in a supportive setting.
course overviews
After School Sea Camp
After School Sea Camp is a 20-session program based at the Spaulding Marine Center, offering a unique blend of sailing and hands-on woodworking. Open to students ages 10-15, the program meets two afternoons a week from 3:30 to 6:00 pm across ten weeks — ten Tuesdays in our wood shop and ten Thursdays on the water, learning to sail our fleet of Pelican sailboats.
In the woodshop, campers will learn to use basic tools and create hands-on projects. Woodshop instructors start with shop safety and proper use of hand and power tools, with training on the bandsaw, drill press, and belt sander, along with hand-tool skills like marking, sawing, and chiseling. Projects may include building a model sailboat, crafting wooden items to take home, or painting and maintaining our fleet of Pelicans.
On the water, campers will learn essential sailing skills from experienced instructors, including knot tying, sail trim, navigation, safety at sea, and the maritime history of the area, with an emphasis on stewardship of the bay, learning through play, and active participation. Depending on conditions and the season, campers may also take part in beach clean-ups, oceanography lessons, games at the park, and other on-the-water experiences.
Campers also take up weather and wind science, chart plotting and navigation, watershed science, and "life under the dock" — the mussels, tunicates, anemones, and crabs living on the pilings a few feet from where our boats tie up. All of it happens in a working boatyard, alongside the shipwrights restoring wooden boats.
This program is perfect for kids who:
Love hands-on learning and building.
Are curious about the bay, maritime world, science, or crafts.
Thrive in smaller group settings, as each session is capped at just 10 students.
No experience is necessary, and the program is suitable for returning students and newcomers alike. Please send your camper with a snack and a water bottle.
Two need-based scholarships are available and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Families enrolling more than one child are eligible for a sibling discount.
Questions? education@spauldingcenter.org
SUMMER SAILING CAMP
Summer Sea Camp is a day camp based at the Spaulding Marine Center, offering a unique blend of sailing and hands-on woodworking experiences. Campers spend half of each day learning to sail on our fleet of Pelican sailboats and the other half working in our wood shop.
In sailing, campers will learn essential skills from 2-3 experienced instructors, including knot tying, sail trim, navigation, safety at sea, and the maritime history of the area. Emphasis is placed on stewardship of the bay, learning through play, and active participation. Additional activities may include games at the park, kayaking, oceanography lessons, beach cleanups, and boat rides aboard one of our historic vessels.
In the woodshop, campers will learn to use basic tools and create hands-on projects. Woodshop instructors start with shop safety and proper use of hand and power tools. Projects may include building a model sailboat, crafting wooden items to take home, or painting and maintaining our fleet of Pelicans.
This camp is perfect for kids who:
Love hands-on learning and building.
Are curious about the bay, maritime world, science, or crafts.
Thrive in smaller group settings, as each week is capped at just 10 students.
Join us for a summer of fun, discovery, and creativity!
Sailing curriculum
Students learn the fundamentals of sailing aboard Spaulding’s Pelican sailboats. Instruction covers safety, rigging and derigging, points of sail, wind awareness, steering, tacking, jibing, and docking. Lessons emphasize teamwork, communication, and care for the marine environment, with regular time spent sailing on the Bay.
woodworking curriculum
Students receive thorough instruction in shop safety, hand tools, and basic woodworking machines such as the bandsaw, drill press, and belt sander. Early projects typically include a small box and a cutting board, focusing on measurement, layout, joinery, and finishing. As skills develop, students are encouraged to design and build independent projects.
Environmental & science curriculum
Environmental learning is woven throughout the program. Students study local ecology, weather patterns, wind, watersheds, and marine life, along with pollution prevention and stewardship practices. Hands on activities may include beach cleanups, observation, and simple field investigations that connect science to daily life on the Bay.
Local field trips
Field trips expand learning beyond Spaulding and may include visits to local maritime organizations and museums. Students also have opportunities to sail aboard larger vessels, including race boats and Spaulding’s historic flagship Freda, the oldest sailing yacht on the West Coast.
Sailing & waterfront activities
Campers learn basic sailing skills including knots, sail trim, navigation, and safety, with instruction from experienced sailing staff. Learning is hands on and active, with an emphasis on teamwork, confidence on the water, and respect for the Bay. Additional activities may include kayaking, beach cleanups, games, marine science lessons, and trips aboard Spaulding’s historic vessels.
Woodshop activities
In the woodshop, campers are introduced to tool safety and basic woodworking techniques using both hand and power tools. Projects vary by session and may include model boats, small wooden builds, or hands-on maintenance and painting of Spaulding’s Pelican fleet.
