Spirit of America participants are typically students who are graduating from the seventh grade (ages 12-14) and include boys and girls expressing a sincere commitment to attend ALL classes. Our students come from public, private, and home school environments. Students take part in weekly, daily or overnight camp environments at places such as YMCA and or Boy and girls scout camps and community boating environments. Children qualify for the program in the spring of their middle school years through a question and essay application process.

The Spirit of America program is a direct extension of the instruction provided in the traditional middle school classroom setting. The students of Spirit of America are participating in "field experience" in a non-traditional / hands-on course experience through their schools, which affords them the opportunity to have their goals and desires directly affected by the choices that are presented to them. Our children and their families learn by doing, learn through hands on training, and by taking responsibility for themselves and their shipmates. As we all know, a hands on experience in education provides greater retention and the foundation and a desire for future learning.

Our curriculum is directly tied to local, state, and national educational standards, in a nontraditional hands-on environment. Our country is beginning to experience a significant decline in outdoor recreation. We are reversing that decline by providing encouragement and inspiration for our young people through some of the finest and most experienced hands-on instructors. The greatest gift we can provide for our future generations is the hope and promise of lives to be lived to their fullest potential in a sustainable environment. Spirit of America does both and believes in promoting the spirit of life long recreational activity while encouraging self-esteem, hope, curiosity and the ability to see beauty in our environment. Spirit of America believes in… "No Child Left at the Dock!"