STEM Learning Fun Through Boating

The Eastport Yacht Club (EYC) hosted Annapolis 5th Grade students for a day to make STEM learning fun through boating.

It’s not every day a fifth grader announces, “That was the best day of my life!”, but it happened last week at Eastport Yacht Club Foundation’s 8th Annual STEM Through Sailing & Boating program. EYC’s non-profit foundation hosts this three-day experience in cooperation with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to teach kids real-life applications of STEM.

Learning about STEM through Boating

Each morning students move through five interactive stations to learn about Tides, Wind, Navigation, Mechanical Advantage, and Ecosystem Health. Students work with anemometers, compasses, navigation charts, mini sailboats, and lifting sandbags with the help of pulley systems.

After lunch, dreams come true as students and their teachers embark on sail and power boats captained by EYCF volunteers. For many, it’s their first time on a boat, and for some, a lifelong love of boating begins that day.

EYC Volunteers Teaching STEM

Eric Day, AACPS Elementary STEM Teacher Specialist has worked closely with the EYCF team for a year developing the session content to support classroom learning. According to Day, “Watching the moments when the students connect their land station learning to their experience on the boats is fantastic!”.

“It’s a rewarding way to share our love of the water and encourage future stewards of the
Chesapeake Bay to join us in appreciating and protecting it” says Virginia Tippie, retired
Oceanographer and longtime instructor of the ecosystem morning session.

From May 31-June 2 Eastport Elementary, Georgetown East Elementary, and Annapolis Elementary descended upon the Eastport Yacht Club one day at a time. About 100 lucky students were greeted by 60+ EYCF volunteers across the three days. “These are some of the foundation’s favorite days of the year and just part of our ongoing commitment to educating and inspiring today’s youth to learn about and even seek careers in the marine and maritime industry,” says Meghan Hryniewicz, EYCF STEM Program Chair.

EYCF welcomes individuals and local businesses interested in becoming a part of and expanding their mission to preserve the maritime character of Annapolis by bringing boating, education, and the community together.