Instructor Incubator Programme - 2022 is year 3!

Instructor incubator programme

In 2020 we launched Year 1 of our instructor incubator programme, a new 5-year project. A group of sixteen children aged 10-13 took part in beginner sailing, windsurfing and general watersports courses at the Oysterhaven Centre in Cork. Over the next few years, our participants will have the chance to work towards ISA / IWA accreditation in Sailing and Windsurfing. Our aim is that some of the group will ultimately progress to instructor level.

In 2021 we expanded the project into counties Sligo, Mayo, Wicklow and Dublin. Two young people attended an Irish language watersports course at Coláiste UISCE in Mayo agus bhainn siad an taitneamh as!

In 2022 we focussed on progressing previous participants with potential. 12 young people continued their sailing adventures at Sligo Yacht Club. Several of this cohort have successfully completed Levels 1 and 2 of their ISA certification and one star sailor (Jerome) is already at Level 3 standard, effectively skipping a year. Given Jerome’s strong interest we also supported him to take part in a Tall Ship voyage on the Irish sea in June 2022. We supported the same two young men from Mayo to return to Coláiste UISCE for a longer stint this year, as well as the same young woman in Bray to sail at her local club for the second year. And finally our friends at Mallow CYDS brought a group of 11 young people to Oysterhaven in Cork for the third year running and we recieved very positive feedback from the group once more. It is fantastic to see the young people making progress with their certification and getting one step closer to instructor level, watch this space!

Sponsor a child’s participation

If you would like to contribute in part, or in full, towards a child taking part in the programme, please let us know! We appreciate any donation, no matter the size. We can all come together to support greater integration in Irish society.