Community Boating Center

Hey everyone,
I hope you all are having fun on your internships, can't wait to hear about them next week!
My internship is a lot different than what I was expecting, but I am still having fun. I am working at a nonprofit sailing organization. Working as a sailing instructor is something I'm very familiar with, however this organization is different than what I am used to. My day usually starts out with paper work. This includes filling out summer registration forms and filing financial documents, because most of the kids (a few hundred) in the program are on scholarship. CBC provides them with lunch and transportation each day. Later on, the first group of kids show up. They are freshman from a local highschool who are required to come to CBC for their marine science class. These kids are out of control, rude, angry, and unmotivated. Each day myself and three other instructors have to spend a good amount of time arguing with them about going out on the water. None of them want to be there and they all hate sailing. There is no teaching them because theres nothing that will make them listen. This part of the day is always an eye-opening experience for me. Most of these kids have nothing. They don't like to go on the water because it means getting their clothes wet, for most it is the only set of clothes/shoes they have for that week. I have also heard many of them talk of their criminal records and school suspensions. Although this is sad to see, I don't particulary enjoy this class (ever since my new sneakers went missing). The second class of the day is either a group of middle school boys or a group of kids from the local high schools. I enjoy teaching the highschool class the most. Although these kids are not particularly motivated either, they are a lot of fun to have in a boat. They always find comical things to do to entertain themselves while sailing. However, it is sad to see the way the girls act in particular. They are all overly concerned with boys and physical looks than anything else. Every day I sail with them includes a game of "truth or dare" that leaves me shocked each time. Yesterday was by far the most fun I have had at my internship so far. The high school group came, and a new girl was with them. I offered to take her out one on one in a racing boat and teach her how to trap. She told me that she had not been to CBC in two weeks because the week before I had arrived one of the other kids made an antisemetic comment towards her. It was really great to take her out and make her feel comfortable again, and I could tell that she really appreciated it. She is also the first kid at CBC who has been really motivated and actually wanted to sail. I will be sad to leave this group, especially since they all have begged me to come back and work for the whole summer.
Although this experience has been difficult and the kids are a handful, I am really glad that I chose this internship. Not only have I gotten to sail everyday, I have also gotten to try out demos of brand new sailboats, travel around with my internship director to help advertise for the program, and meet a lot of other really great instructors. I have also seen how great a program like CBC is. It is more of a mentorship and outreach program than a sailing program, something that is greatly needed for the kids I have met.
See everyone soon!
-Randie