September 29, 2015: Our speaker was Prentice Brower, III, Executive Director of Lowcountry Maritime Society (the “Society”). Prentice explained that the purpose of the Society is to connect the Lowcountry with the water and its history. The Mission of the Society is to help facilitate and promote the connection of the Coastal South Carolina community with our natural marine environment and maritime heritage.
The Society focuses on the theory that people learn by doing. The Society has established its in-school STEM Boatbuilding Program at several local schools, including Sanders Clyde Creative Arts School, Simmons Pinckney Middle-school, Meeting Street Academy and James Simmons. The students are guided through the process of building boats, which begins with the review of plans and finishes with a completed 12 ft. skiff. Essentially, the program uses the hands-on boat building process to help students improve their math skills, learn and understand the significance of the Lowcountry waterways and begin the path to work-readiness. By participating in the program, the children learn invaluable job skills, such as planning, communication and responsibility. Once the boats are completed, the students take the skiff out on the water during the Spring Boat Launch. Following the boat launch, the Society uses the boats for future programs to allow the students to learn about the repair and maintenance process. Some of the boats are donated to local schools or purchased as part of a silent auction. Prentice stated that the impact of the Society can be seen by the high level of student retention, the increase in class size, the comments in student journals and student feedback. While most students are reluctant to provide feedback about the school year, one student stated that “boat building was the favorite part” of the year.
The Society has partnered with several organizations and entities to develop its curriculum. Such partners include the Teaching with Small Boats Alliance, Building to Teach, the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, the Port Townsend School District, Outward Bound, the Lowcountry Hall of Math and Science, the honors College, the Port Royal Sound Foundation, the Penn Center, the Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Port Authority. Currently, the Society engages the local community through various maritime events, including the Fall Dock Party, which is its largest fundraiser, and the Spring Boat Launch. In addition, the Society has developed initiatives to enhance the local community’s awareness of the Lowcountry maritime history and to promote maritime businesses.
Prentice stated that the Society is currently in need to funding, continued outreach, Board development and access to the water. He further stated that the future of the Society will be focused on identifying and obtaining a physical location, spreading knowledge and expanding its community event by building relationships. Thus, within three years, the Society plans to expand its in-school programming to high school students and to offer after-school programming to 5th through 12th grade students. The in-school classes will complement the after-school enrichment programs while the high school programs will extend into job skills developments. In addition, the Society plans to expand its geographical area throughout coastal South Carolina beginning with Hilton Head and Beaufort. In addition, the Society hopes to offer summer camps (as early as 2016) in the areas of boatbuilding and voyaging.
— Abe Gutting, Keyway Committee