LAMI is the
Los Angeles Maritime Institute
Read about: News and Events | Sailing
Opportunities
Since its founding in 1992, the mission of The Los Angeles Maritime
Institute's "TopSail Youth Program" has been to use sail training to provide youth with real-life challenges
that develop knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to live healthy,
productive lives. This multi-award-winning program has become a model
program for others, worldwide.
The Organizational Structure
The Los Angeles Maritime Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public-benefit corporation,
founded by retired science teacher and sailing program pioneer, Captain Jim Gladson. The Institute is
governed by a Board of 12 Directors. With a current full-time staff of only four (two administrative
and two licensed captains) the Institute utilizes the skills and enthusiasm of several hundred
volunteers to sail, maintain and support the ships and the programs,
producing almost $4 worth of program for every donated dollar spent.
During the 2001-2002 school year, our TopSail Youth Program provided
over 5000 youth sailing days to 67 different schools and youth organizations.
In that year, our volunteers logged over 48,000 job specific hours (the
equivalent of about 24 full-time employees). There is no minimum time
commitment for our volunteers, no previous experience is necessary and
no fees are required. Volunteers are required to take a series of "Program
Delivery" classes to ensure consistent program delivery and
proper interaction with both youth and adults crews.
The Venue
Our educational venue is the ocean on board classic-rigged sailing
vessels. The 70' topsail schooner Swift of Ipswich, the
94' gaff-topsail schooner Bill of Rights, and the Twin Brigantines
Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson make a unique and challenging
environment that nurtures the development of knowledge, skills, and
attitudes that are both necessary for the education of today's youth,
and difficult to teach in the traditional classroom. Youth are encouraged
to explore and respond to the world around them. Science, mathematics,
physics, biology, geography, world trade, economics, history, literature,
and even poetry suddenly come to life in this real world classroom.
The ships sail with a crew of mariner/ educators/ mentors. They are
charged with encouraging and fostering the growth of: awareness, understanding,
communication, cooperation and teamwork, along with the maturation of
their attitudes regarding persistence, patience, endurance, courage
and caution. These are all definite milestones, but the ultimate destination
is individual responsibility, competency and leadership.
