New Tools to Assess Effectiveness of Sail Training
Methods and materials that will enable sail training vessel operators to measure and assess the effectiveness of their programmes are being developed as part of a new drive by Sail Training International and its member national organisations to improve standards and promote sail training to a wider audience. Under a contract signed today, the development work will be carried out by Learning and Change Consulting working with academic staff of the University of Edinburgh (which carried out the first-ever comprehensive international study into the effectiveness of sail training in 2006, also funded by Sail Training International).
äóìSail training is an incredibly diverse activity in terms of vessel size, length and type of voyage, programme sophistication and social/cultural context. But most share a core purpose of developing in young people a range of important life skills. These include an understanding of the role and skills required for teamwork and leadership, and enhancing a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem,äó says Nigel Rowe, President and Chairman of Sail Training International. ” number of the more sophisticated sail trainers already measure and assess the value of what they do on a continuing basis, and this new project is designed particularly to help the overwhelming majority of other vessel operators who have yet to undertake such work.äó
The project will develop, pilot and validate the self-assessment ‘tool kit’ It will be launched at Sail Training International’s Annual Conference in Istanbul, 20-21November 2010. Dr Kris Von Wald of Learning and Change Consulting and Dr Pete Allison of the University of Edinburgh will work with a small Steering Group of sail training vessel operators from Europe, North America and Australia. The Steering Group will be chaired by Terry Davies, a Trustee of Sail Training International. The Project Manager for Sail Training International is Paul Bishop.
For further information contact Paul Bishop:
Sail Training International
paul.bishop@sailtraininginternational.org
+44 2393 586 367
Sail Training International is a registered charity (not-for-profit organisation) with worldwide membership and activities. Its purpose is the development and education of young people of all nationalities, cultures, religions, abilities and social backgrounds through the sail training experience internationally.
Sail Training International achieves this purpose through a range of activities and services. These include races and other events for sail training Tall Ships, conferences and seminars, publications and DVD presentations, international research, the Class A Tall Ships Forum (whose members are the operators of circa 70 of the world’s big square-rigged sail training Tall Ships) and the International Youth Forum (whose members are under the age of 26 and represent the interests of young sail trainers around the world).
