FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2009
Contact: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
molly.dannenmaier@galvestonhistory.org
409-765-7834

ELISSA Youth Seamanship Program Begins Saturday, August 15

The Texas Seaport Museum and the ELISSA Youth Crew will hold an orientation and informational meeting on Saturday, August 15 for its 2009-2010 Youth Seamanship Program. The orientation will be held at the Texas Seaport Museum on Pier 21 in Galveston. ELISSA Youth Crew is free of charge and open to all teenagers ages 11 to 17 and their parents. The orientation runs from 9 a.m. until noon and is designed to introduce parents and teens to the experiences and opportunities associated with joining.

ELISSA Youth Crew offers the rare experience of learning to be a crew member on ELISSA, a restored 19th-century sailing ship, in the same manner as was done over 130 years ago. There are 12 Saturday classes in which crew members learn to set and maneuver ELISSA’s 19 sails as well as what it takes to operate the 400-ton ship.

Regular Saturday seamanship training sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., during which time youth participants are not permitted to leave the site. Youth are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. The sessions are held every other Saturday running through mid-March.

There are several optional activities designed to enhance the seamanship experience. The classes are youth-led under the supervision of an experienced team of adult volunteers. After seven months of dockside training, the ELISSA Youth Crew members are invited to sail on one of ELISSA’s annual day-sails in March, 2010, serving as part of her crew.

Most museums preserve artifacts, but it is the firm belief of the Texas Seaport Museum staff and volunteers that it isn’t enough to simply preserve a ship without also preserving associated skills, says John Schaumburg, Texas Seaport Museum Manager. This is the core belief behind the ELISSA Youth Crew as well, he says. Members of the youth crew learn how to work as a team in an environment where no one person can possibly do everything. The well rounded program is equally challenging to body and mind, says Schaumburg. Many participants learn self-confidence and purpose through the program and many forge lifelong friendships with others who share the same passions, he says.

The orientation will showcase the skills that will be presented in the Youth Seamanship program during the course of the year. Parents or legal guardians are encouraged to attend the orientation unless prior arrangements can be made for required paperwork. Parents are encouraged to participate in the program but their participation is not required.

Those seeking more information may contact Christine Hayes at the Seaport Museum office at 409-763-1877.