The Log Spotlights LAMI’s Mission to Educate Youth at Sea

Published by The Log

When a publication like The Log – a fixture in Southern California’s boating community since 1971 – takes notice of your work, it’s a moment worth celebrating. But beyond the ink and digital pixels, what made us most proud about the recent feature in The Log wasn’t just the coverage itself. It was the way they told our story: as a place where maritime history is alive, where young people discover who they are, and where the ocean becomes a classroom like no other.

For more than 30 years, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute has operated quietly but persistently in one of the world’s busiest ports. While cargo ships and ferries dominate headlines, our twin brigantines – the Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson – continue their steady work, sailing out of San Pedro and Long Beach with students, volunteers, and dreamers aboard. It’s work that doesn’t always make the news. So when The Log asked us to share our story, we jumped at the chance.

Why This Moment Matters

The feature in The Log highlighted something we believe deeply: that maritime education isn’t just about learning to sail. It’s about transformation. It’s about young people who have never seen the ocean up close, stepping onto a tall ship for the first time and discovering confidence they didn’t know they possessed. It’s about students understanding that STEM concepts – physics, engineering, environmental science – come alive when you’re actually reading the water, adjusting the rigging, and navigating by the stars.

Alice Taylor, who provides input on our fleet and programs, put it perfectly in the article: “TopSail does not train youth for life at sea. We use the sea to educate youth for life.” That philosophy – that the ocean is the classroom and life itself is the lesson – is what drives everything we do at LAMI.

Our Fleet, Our Foundation

The Log article also reminded us of something we’re incredibly grateful for: the ships themselves. Our flagship brigantines, the Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson, were built to last a century. Named after legendary sail-training pioneers, these vessels represent a commitment to hands-on education that simply can’t happen in a conventional classroom. When a student hauls a sail or learns to tie a knot that has been tied the same way for centuries, they’re not just learning a skill. They’re connecting with history. They’re becoming part of a tradition.

Beyond our brigantines, we also work with the American Pride, a three-masted schooner with her own remarkable history – a working fishing vessel turned educational platform, now the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach. And as we restore the Swift of Ipswich, another beautiful wooden schooner, we’re expanding the ways we can reach young people, especially in underserved neighborhoods like Wilmington.

The Programs That Change Lives

What The Log captured in their feature is just the beginning of what LAMI offers. Over the years, we’ve developed a range of programs designed to meet young people where they are:

TopSail Youth Program remains our cornerstone – a hands-on experience where upper elementary through high school students set sails, navigate, examine marine life, and develop leadership skills that stick with them long after they leave the deck.

TopSail STEM Program brings science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to life in ways that textbooks never could. Students see how buoyancy works. They understand currents and tides. They engage with real-world problem-solving.

Sea Scouts and Youth Crew provide ongoing opportunities for young people aged 14-20 to develop maritime skills and spend time on our vessels alongside experienced crew members.

Maritime Youth Leadership Ambassadors (MYLA) in Wilmington offers free programming to local youth, including sailing, marine ecology, and career exploration – with transportation, gear, and even opportunities for families to sail together.

Explore the Coast connects students with marine science in ways that spark curiosity about the ocean and the ecosystems within it.

We also offer summer camps for younger explorers and monthly sunset sails for the broader community – because maritime education isn’t just for the young. It’s for anyone who wants to experience something extraordinary on the water.

You’re Invited

The reason we’re sharing this now isn’t just to celebrate media attention, though we’re grateful for The Log’s recognition. It’s to invite you – whether you’re an educator, a parent, a young person, a volunteer, or simply someone who loves the water – to become part of this work.

If you have a student in your life who needs to discover their potential, we have programs for them. If you’re looking to give back and connect with a community of people who care about maritime heritage and youth development, we need volunteers. If you’re moved by this mission and want to support it financially, your contribution directly enables more young people to step aboard our ships and change the trajectory of their lives.

Visit lamitopsail.org to explore our programs, sign up for a sunset sail, volunteer, or make a donation. The season is here, and there’s space aboard for you.

As we like to say at LAMI: Kids are our passion. Volunteers are our superpower. Sailing is our tool.

Come join us on the water. We’re waiting.