<span style="font-weight: 400;">YSF Community Sailing of Vero Beach’s twelfth annual Summer Sailing Camp is off to a flying start with thirty children per week taking to the waters of the Indian River Lagoon during June and July. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Campers and Counselors</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">One hundred eighty-five (185) campers from Indian River County and across the United States enjoy a fun-filled week of experiential learning at its best. Traditionally, twenty percent of the sailors are children visiting grandparents, many of whom have fond memories of their summer sailing camps. Thirty percent (30 %) sign up for two or more weeks. Sailing requires physical and cognitive agility. A sailor has to stay focused or he or she may find themselves swimming instead of sailing. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A staff of twelve highly trained professional US Sailing Certified instructors teach a curriculum that balances technical training and fun on the water. They use sailing as a medium to teach perseverance, resilience, sportsmanship, and other basic building blocks for a successful life. Between drills, the Lagoon provides a natural playground for having fun in the water. By Friday, children who first stepped into a boat on Monday are sailing on their own around a buoy-marked course. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks to generous grants from Quail Valley Charities and the Wheels & Keels Foundation, YSF can provide needs-blind admission to summer camp. Seventy-four (74) scholarships with a total value of $22,750 have been awarded to date. This represents 40% of all those attending the camp. Children from across the socioeconomic spectrum come together to learn from one another in a safe and fun environment. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Each one-week camp runs Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM. Campers are issued a t-shirt and enjoy a Chick-fil-A lunch. Transportation is provided for those who need a lift. The sailors are divided into beginner and intermediate classes. One-third of the campers have prior sailing experience in YSF’s after-school or summer camp programs. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The camp generates an economic impact of $80,000, with 75% allocated to paid staff and 25% to local vendors. Seven of the staff are YSF sailors who grew up in the program, learning to sail and going on to earn the rigorous US Sailing Level One Certification to become professional instructors. These young high school and college-age instructors gain valuable leadership and teaching skills while earning money in a job they love. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) of Indian River County, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that eliminates cultural and financial barriers to sailing. YSF was founded in 2009 to use sailing as a medium to help children achieve their full potential. We operate under the banner “YSF Community Sailing” to reflect that we now serve the entire community. We make it easy and affordable for children, adults, and families to enjoy the thrill of sailing. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: </span><a href="http://www.ysfirc.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.ysfirc.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Contact: Email </span><a href="mailto:info@ysfirc.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">info@ysfirc.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Phone 772 492-3243.</span>