About Us

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    Spirit of America offers a unique, safe and comprehensive water-based educational and recreational program. The Spirit of America Foundation instills confidence and fosters the Spirit of teamwork in our nations youth. Our underlying goals include developing self-esteem while nurturing responsible behavior and positive, lifelong ambitions. 

                ‘Teaching the way our children learn’    'No Child Left At The Dock'

    Spirit of America, a 501c3 not-for-profit public service organization, exists primarily to serve our nation’s youth with Americas Premier Youth Boating Education Programs.  

    We have been in the business of providing a SAFE and educational introduction to our Country’s young people, their families and their communities, to all types of water based recreational activities in one of the most diverse “hands-on” Classrooms in America since 1995.

Spirit of America shall remain dedicated and committed to becoming an integral part of each community we serve by continuing our leadership role in advancing the promotion of National standards based education in all disciplines. Our unique curriculum shall touch upon all aspects of recreating on the water; state education courses, drowning prevention, canoe, kayak, stand up paddleboard, sail, powered watercraft and safety equipment – at little to no cost to any student. 

Our program provides communities with a sustainable resource of education and recreation for all generations, inspiring a lifelong stewardship of our natural resources. By offering a critically important program, for the in and out of school hours in an informal and nontraditional environment, we continue to advance social and life skill development.

We empower our youth by providing a sustainable resource of opportunity with a curriculum which balances the resources of the national on-water, skills-based and knowledge-based standards of education in a diverse and non-traditional classroom. 

We continue to build a national constituency of individuals and organizations who, with the very best instructors in our country, provide our program curriculum in a way for our students to develop lifelong learning skills. Our instructors lead with passion, guiding our students and ensuring a future generation of SAFE – SMART boaters and lifelong recreational enthusiasts which ensures the continued growth of a viable marine industry. ‘Future Boaters … Future Business’ 

We know that being near the water can calm us and connect children their families and communities and that being near the water can reduce stress, amplify creativity and increase innovation and insight. With that in mind, we shall provide introduction to water-based recreational activities in a way for our students to dare to dream, learn, react and develop lifelong learning skills in a unique, safe and educational environment. 

We hope you will join us by offering your support for our programs or by physically getting involved on the water with our students. 

Our Spirit of America National programs have been funded in part by the Sport Fish Restoration Boating Trust Fund, administered by the United States Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety. 

We are grateful for their belief in our mission and our ability to provide Americas Premier Youth Boating Education program, and for their continued support of our national programs. 

The local USCG partners, in our many locations, have been extremely supportive of the program by opening bases and allowing our students to participate in large vessel curriculum on board USCG watercraft between 25' to 87' cutters!  Many of our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in the United States Coast Guard due in part to the mentorship provided to them by these partners. Thank you to our great partners, the USCG! 

 Wow this is such an honor to even be considered for this award! From as far back as I can remember I had been boating on Lake Erie. Growing up my family and I would go sailing  in Sandusky and  the Mentor Lagoons. My Dad wanted  my brother and I be familiar with boating safety and navigation rules and took us to get our boating license when we were about 12 years old. I started volunteering for Spirit of America in 2002 at the Fairport Harbor location in Lake County, Ohio. Every summer from then on until I graduated high school in 2006 I would volunteer with Spirit of America. After graduation I went to Notre Dame College for one year. During my time there I realized that I wanted something more and that's when I sought out the local Coast Guard recruiting office. I went off to Coast Guard boot camp in October 2007. After graduating the 8 week long boot camp I received orders to be stationed in Virginia Beach on a 87 foot long cutter. I was there for two years and some of my duties that I performed there were, coxswain of the small boat, deck maintenance, boarding team member and crew member of the watch.

  In January 2010 I transferred to Yorktown, Virginia to go thru Boatswains Mate" A" school. "A" school is a vigorous 12 week long school where I was taught how to navigate, plot courses on charts, how to calculate sunrise and sunset, navigation rules and spent 2 weeks operating small boats. Once I completed the 12 week course I advanced to Boatswains mate 3rd class and was sent to a search and rescue station in Annapolis, Maryland.

 I spent 4 years at the station. During my tour I obtained several qualifications including, coxswain on the 45 foot Response Boat Medium and 29 foot Response Boat small, officer of the day, boarding team member, numerous weapons qualifications, chart petty officer, certified in first aid and CPR and in charge of deck maintenance on the small boats. While stationed in Annapolis I was a part of countless search and rescue cases, escorts of cruise ships and law enforcement boardings on the Chesapeake Bay. The station also played a big part in training the Coast Guard auxiliary and civilians on proper boat handling, understanding rules to navigation and boating safety while on the water.

 In 2014 I transferred to Training Center Yorktown in Yorktown, Virginia to become an underway boat instructor on the 45 foot response boat medium and also advanced to boatswains mate 2nd class. My main responsibility at my current duty station is the train and educate future coxswains on how to safety operate the 45 foot RB-M. Junior Coast Guard members travel from all across the nation to come to the 2 week long course. During the course they will be taught proper boat handling skills, how to operate the navigation equipment, policies and procedures, search patterns, and identify engineering casualties. Over the past 3 years I have also volunteered to work with local ROTC and youth groups to educate them on the Coast Guard and boating safety. Teaching has truly become a passion of mine and I can't wait to pass on my love for the water and boating to my children.