Photos: Endeavour Holds Community Day

July 14, 2023 | 0 Comments

Endeavour, a Bermuda-registered charity that engages students in experiential learning through sailing, held a community day in Dockyard at the end of June.

A spokesperson said, “A team of eight interns and employees from Arch Capital Group Ltd. helped Endeavour to prepare for its summer programmes.”

Geovanni Hayward, Endeavour Programme Manager, said, “We appreciate the incredible support from Arch team members who brought their positive energy, tireless efforts and willingness to assist our team prepare for a busy summer season. They were ready to help no matter what the task was, from assembling picnic tables, cleaning and organising our safety equipment and beautifying and preparing our fleet of powerboats and sail boats.”

Jennifer Pitcher, Endeavour’s Executive Director, said, “We are deeply thankful for the support from the Arch team who joined us for an Endeavour Community Day at the Endeavour West Fort in Dockyard. It was awesome to see some of our previous Endeavour students amongst the Arch Interns who are now finishing high school and/or have started postsecondary studies.

“We enjoyed hearing what they have been up to along with their goals for the future. We are inspired by their achievements and willingness to give back to the community, and we wish them the best for continued success in their future endeavours.”

The spokesperson said, “Arch interns Aidan McPhail and Jerzi Riley shared that they enjoyed making a difference, learning more about the Endeavour programmes and helping with the preparation tasks such as cleaning the boats and buoyancy aids and organising the dry room.

“While Zorena Anderson and Jezhari Talbot, also Arch interns, found it to be a fun and challenging experience. Everyone was very welcoming and kind. Such great energy. We enjoyed learning about Endeavour’s work and the community impact of Endeavour’s programmes.

Jahshon Smith, Endeavour Programme Instructor, said, “We were able to achieve a lot with the support of Arch team members contributing their time and energy. The day concluded with a volunteer appreciation sail aboard RS Quests to reward the interns for their hard work. We are excited for a fantastic summer bringing together diverse young people from across our Island for fun-filled learning experiences on and off the water.”

Nichole Tucker, Human Resources Coordinator at Arch Capital Group Ltd. said, “Overall, it was a great day. Our interns were very excited to collaborate with the Endeavour team, helping with various projects in preparation for their 2023 summer programmes. N

“ot only did the students have the opportunity to give back and support an amazing programme offered to Bermuda’s middle school students but it was also a great learning experience about sailing.”

The spokesperson said, “More than 6,000 young people from public, private and home schools across Bermuda have benefited from engaging in Endeavour’s programmes since 2015. Endeavour partners with 20 schools across the island for its experiential learning programmes. As part of its commitment to inclusivity, these Endeavour programmes are delivered at no cost to the students.

“Every student in Bermuda participates in the Endeavour Middle School Programme during their first year of middle school for five days, engaging in hands-on experiences to help students learn to work together and understand the science and math behind sailing.

“Students new to sailing that have the highest performance in various evaluation areas are invited to the Endeavour Graduate Summer Programme for a week of sailing training focused on building their confidence, skills and knowledge on and off the water.

“Learning objectives are based on the Royal Yachting Association Youth Sailing Syllabus Stages 1 and 2 which focus on developing skills such as rigging, steering, sail control, tacking, sailing across the wind, speed control, launching and recovery as well as parts of the boat and ropework. Those who wish to continue for further training and skills development are invited to return during school breaks and weekends during the fall and spring.

“Endeavour’s programmes aim to provide development and growth opportunities for Bermudian youth. Students interested in becoming sailing instructors, who have completed the Endeavour Graduate Programme and are aged 15 or older, are eligible to apply for the Endeavour Assistant Instructor Programme. This leadership development programme focuses on advanced sailing, seamanship and coaching skills.

“After completing a one-week programme they achieve an Assistant Instructor certificate and they are invited to volunteer to assist younger students in the Endeavour Graduate Programme while gaining community service experience.

“Nijanae Pemberton was one of the first students to participate in the Endeavour Middle School Programme and was invited to join the Endeavour Graduate Programme in 2017. She later completed the Endeavour Assistant Instructor Programme in 2020.

“She has since volunteered hundreds of hours to Endeavour while balancing her studies at CedarBridge Academy. She has recently graduated with Honours and she won a service award for her many contributions to the community.

“Ms. Pemberton has recently graduated with Honours and she won a service award for her many contributions to the community. She has worked her way up to becoming a Royal Yachting Association Dinghy Instructor after completing the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme in 2022. The seven-week training and career development initiative is offered in partnership with the Bermuda College Athora Division of Professional and Career Education to equip Bermudian youth with the skills, hands-on experience, and maritime connections to be successful in working in the maritime industry.”

Ms. Pemberton said, “It has been a fantastic experience to grow from student to instructor through my participation in Endeavour’s programmes. I had never sailed before my first day at Endeavour when I was a middle school student and I learned so much over the years. I love being able to share my skills and passion for sailing to inspire and support young Bermudians while doing what I love on the water.”

Ms. Pitcher said, “We are delighted to have Nijanae joining us again this summer as a Programme Instructor Intern. We are inspired by her extraordinary commitment and hard work and we love seeing her continue to inspire and mentor future generations. We couldn’t be more proud to have her on our team.

“Endeavour’s experiential learning programmes would not be possible without the wonderful support from our valued donors, partners, and supporters that enables us to positively impact diverse young lives across Bermuda. We are immensely grateful for Arch Capital Group Ltd., along with Endeavour’s founding lead sponsor, Orbis Investments, and long standing partners, PwC Bermuda and BF&M Ltd., for their unwavering commitment and generous support of our work with Bermuda’s youth.”

The spokesperson said, “Visit endeavour.bm to learn more about Endeavour’s programmes.”