Bermuda Sloop Foundation

The Bermuda Sloop Foundation (BSF) was incorporated a Bermuda Company Limited by Guarantee in 1998. It is an active registered Bermuda charity, having secured this status in 1999. The BSF owns and operates the Sail Training Vessel Spirit of Bermuda, which is entering its 10th year of operation. BSF is committed to providing positive expeditionary learning experiences to Bermuda's youth to facilitate positive outcomes. In the course of a “school year,” approximately 300 Middle School-age students participate on a 5-day, 4-night rite of passage, using Training Under Sail, a uniquely powerful context for learning and self-discovery. Briefly, students enter into a new operating community completely disconnected from their life ashore; they become trainee crew. The Expeditionary Learning Design Principles (http://eleducation.org/) are the basis for activities are to be connected generically to school curricula with inquiry-based learning strategies - STEAM of Sailing a Bermuda sloop, Bermuda’s maritime heritage, and our unique coastal environment. BSF has successfully impacted nearly 4500 youth since 2006 and is continuing this work as it begins its second decade.