Navigating the Seas: An Unconventional Approach to Shaping and Transforming Lives

The holiday season is a time of enjoying our friends and family and giving to others. While we face challenges and disappointments as we navigate the crazy waters of this journey called life, it is invigorating to focus a season of our life on helping others and experiencing the joy and hope that it brings. On such a note, I am devoting this month’s article to share an uplifting story about how an organization quite literally helps at risk youth navigate these crazy waters of life.

The organization is called Sailfuture. It was founded by Michael Long, a college student and gubernatorial-appointee to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice's (DJJ) Board of Directors. Long spent time visiting juvenile detention centers in Florida and saw a problem—simply “warehousing,” youth and teens in prisons was not working and over 65% percent of these children quickly returned as repeat offenders. Like many who advocate for change even when it may seem unpopular, Long could not sit around and let these trends continue. He explains in a quite moving way: “we knew too much to do nothing.”

The group is modeled to recruit those juvenile offenders who are considered to be the most challenging to rehabilitate, described as “the young people that have rejected help and are too difficult for other programs to serve.” Participants are selected by judges, prosecutors, and members of Department of Juvenile Justice to go on a 5 month odyssey where they learn to sail, receive vocational training, earn their GED, and get to participate in global service projects.

Teaching youth to sail and embark on this odyssey is based on the notion that transformation cannot happen without a transformational experience. Most of the participants have never had anyone believe in them or their abilities and as a result have low expectations of themselves and others. Thus, the opportunity to complete such a challenging feat gives these youth the gift of experiencing accomplishment. Youth from very different backgrounds are paired together and must unite as a team to navigate the sea. The leaders of the program describe: “When our youth realize they have become sailors, they realize they can become anyone.” Quite powerful.

The other remarkably unique aspect of the program is that it recognizes that a traditional classroom approach will not work. Instead, the young sailors are the leaders, in charge of maintaining the ship and serving as the navigators and watch leaders. In fact, in a recent initiative, members of the program were paired with members of the Baltimore Police Department to teach the police officers how to sail! Many of the program members had never carried on a conversation with a police officer, expect during an arrest, so this was a new experience on many levels.

I am blown away by the unconventional approach of Sailfuture. This type of program takes true dedication and belief in our youth. It also takes a group of people who likely faced challenges themselves in taking on a project that involved taking at risk youth out to sea for 5 months. In the words of Margaret Meade, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Be inspired and encouraged this holiday season,
Kathryn

Kathryn Boortz has a passion for working with youth and their families. ​She is the founder of Boortz Law, a law firm that focuses on juvenile defense. ​