Archive for February 2022

[Music]

hi i’m tracy lahren in the next few

minutes we’re going to meet the people

behind the mystic cruiser the tall ship

that’s going to live in the channel

islands harbor

we think it’s important that the kids

get out on the water

it’s you know this the central coast

area is is based on the water and

there’s just so much history here you

need to get out in the water and

experience it

some of these kids have never been

across the 101 freeway from santa

barbara they’ve never been on the beach

even get alone in the harbor let alone

on a ship

that has all these creaky sounds and is

all eerie staying overnight on a ship i

mean it is

it’s a life-changing experience for them

for many of these kids i mean it’s their

first time away from home often they’re

scared because it’s dark and all the

sounds are going

and they’re also with their friends many

of them you know may be shy and stuff at

school but if they’re given a position

of leadership by this crew that they

have to perform their duties and the

bullies can be the their minions too you

know so a lot of them develop just

self-confidence that they didn’t come

with and it

happens

so

incredibly the teachers talk about how

students come back a different child

into the classroom you know i’m

president of the channel islands harbor

foundation and we underwrite the

transportation grants for probably six

to seven thousand school-age kids a year

to come to either island packers to

participate in the islands or to come to

the maritime museum it’s a very very

successful program i love the channel

islands i don’t think it’s a more

beautiful place in the united states so

you can go in the channel islands and

it’s so wonderful to be able to do

things through the foundation through

the ship coming here so you can

get the kids out on the water you know

many of these

children are from oxnard ventura and

they’ve never been to the water

and their eyes just opened with awe and

amazement when they get on a

on a boat and go out to the islands or

they tour the maritime museum or

something like that it’s just a unique

opportunity to open young people’s minds

and as a teacher that’s the one thing

you live for is be able to open people’s

minds and watch the excitement of

education and learning

she is a wonderful vessel she’s

absolutely beautiful i

highly recommend to anyone to come out

and at least see her and then come

sailing with us she’s going to be an

educational platform and hopefully we’ll

be able to do other trips as well but

the chance to get to sail a vessel like

that where you have a large crew that is

an orchestrated ballet of handling sale

and just she’s such a wonderful ship and

to teach history or science from that

sort of platform and very hands-on is an

amazing opportunity

i’m absolutely thrilled that she is

coming to channel islands harbor but

also that she’ll have an important

mission she’ll be really an asset to our

community and one that we can share with

a lot of people

so i i love that idea i really do feel

that museums

um this goes for santa barbara for us

they’re really about people it’s a place

where people come to meet and learn

and exchange ideas so

the the people part of it is very

important even in terms of being a

museum so i really do see it as that you

know when i see a museum i think of

people and that’s what mystic cruz is

going to do is she’s going to do the

same thing i look at her and i’m going

to see people and i’m going to see and i

see students

and i see maybe kids that haven’t been

on the water being able to be on her

so it really brings us a unique

opportunity i love the idea of having a

classroom on the water letting kids come

out here and see what it was like you

know in the 1800s to actually be on a

sailing vessel and so i’m excited to

have it in the harbor

i’ve talked to people in their early 30s

that did this when they were fifth

graders

and they to a person they tell me

it was a life-changing experience it’s

the first time i had to be responsible

for anything it’s also one of the few

things they really remember about that

number the fifth grade they say oh in

fifth grade we went you know and it was

a huge adventure yeah

can’t wait to get the boat here and get

on it and i want to get on there and

it’s just gonna it’s so exciting roger

and sarah chrisman have been supporting

education programs and getting kids out

on the water for like a dozen years at

the santa barbara maritime museum and

they believe that no child should be

left ashore i think jean michelle

cousteau says you gotta love something

to protect it and so what uh the

christmans are allowing is these

children to learn a love for our oceans

and our channel and they’ll be the

protectors of that channel in

generations to come

there’s nothing like seeing it in person

so come out and visit the channel

islands harbor

[Music]