|
|
RYA Welcomes Recent Government
Announcement Recognising Importance of Character-Building Activities
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds
recently announced his vision to help children build character and resilience. Speaking
at the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership conference on 07
February, Mr Hinds spoke of the importance of character-building activities in
helping young people succeed in life and even improve academic outcomes.
The Department for Education (DfE) has pledged to work with schools and
external organizations, including membership bodies, to enable children from
all backgrounds to access activities to develop confidence and underpin success
in education and work. For many years we have known that sport and
physical activity have a beneficial effect on our physical health and
wellbeing. However, work done by the RYA and Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World
Learning and Professor of Learning at the University of Winchester demonstrates a number of important additional benefits. The
landmark project combined academic findings on the role character has to play in shaping young people’s life chances, with the
life skills that can be developed through sailing. With Prof. Lucas
concluding that sailing nurtures six key strengths; creativity, confidence,
teamwork, communication, determination, and independence.
He said: “I’m struck by how much of a child’s life in
school, can be focused on exams and how much more needs to focus on the other
things that help them to do really well in life, including resilience and
learning to work with others. If you do those things better, exam results get
better and people who have these attributes get on better in life. They are
much happier and adaptable to embrace challenges.”
The RYA’s OnBoard programme can help to cultivate these capabilities in young people and encourages
individuals to have a growth mind-set. Children who get out on-the-water know
how to face challenges, become more resilient and see life as an opportunity.
Prof. Lucas continued: “All the evidence says for a young person to
flourish in the 21st century, the character attributes they need are on that
list. It is no longer a question as to whether these things are important, it
is now all about how you do it. Sailing can provide an answer to that ‘how’,
whilst also providing numerous other benefits like having fun with friends and
family, being active and getting outdoors.”
Of the recent DfE announcement,
Professor Bill Lucas commented: “It’s very encouraging to see the Department
for Education actively embracing the contribution of informal activities like
sailing to building character, along with the importance of creativity”
Get OnBoard
RYA OnBoard was relaunched in 2017 with a new focus on the broader learning benefits of
sailing and windsurfing. It is open to anyone aged 8-18 and offers the
opportunity to try out sailing and windsurfing in a safe, structured and fun
environment.
Sessions are delivered through a
network of clubs and centres across the UK, many of which are partnered with
local schools. In its 13 years, OnBoard has introduced more than 900,000 youngsters to sailing and windsurfing.
RYA Director of Sport Development Alistair Dickson explains: “OnBoard is crucial in providing the foundation for the future
of our sport and enables us to share the real value of sailing with new
audiences, who may not have considered it as an activity before.
“We look forward to inspiring even more youngsters of all ages and
backgrounds to get out on the water and discover what sailing can offer them.”
|
|
Coastal Boating (Reg. in Ireland No. 443222) is a division of Knowledge Clinic Ltd.
Europe: Port Aleria, Rosnakilly, Kilmeena, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland - USA: PO Box 726, Mahwah, NJ 07430 All content on this site is subject to Copyright© - All rights reserved. Contact us - Advertising - Privacy - Terms & Conditions - Copyright & Trademark - Webmaster |