Community Partners

Community partners at all levels allow organizations to thrive. BaySail is proud to work with numerous nonprofits throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region with interests in arts and culture, recreation, and the environment.


Green

GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) engages young people to be knowledgeable about watersheds and their problems, to have the skills to solve those problems, and to be motivated to work toward a solution.

The GREEN program is coordinated through international nonprofit Earth Force. GREEN partners with General Motors and local environmental organizations to teach young people about their local watersheds and engage them in civic projects to improve the health of local rivers and streams. Students conduct water quality monitoring and apply what they find to create lasting solutions for pressing water quality issues.

GREEN engages 15,000 young people and hundreds of community members each year across the U.S. and Canada. In 2016, BaySail was asked to be the community organization representing GREEN in Bay City. Stay tuned for upcoming projects.

HERITAGE COAST SAIL DAYS

In 2020, BaySail has again partnered with Heritage Coast Sailing & Rowing to bring Appledore V to East Tawas, Michigan for an extended stay from May 23 through July 3. Heritage Coast Sail Days is a collaborative project of HCSR, the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce, BaySail, and the East Tawas Business Association.

While both ships have made appearances in East Tawas over the years, participating in Heritage Coast Sail Days has allowed BaySail to reach an even broader audience for public sailing opportunities and Science Under Sail programs.

Schools from neighboring counties will now get the chance to participate in a Science Under Sail program. Those students might not have had that opportunity from our home port of Bay City.

SAGINAW BAY COMMUNITY SAILING ASSOCIATION

For years, BaySail and the Saginaw Bay Community Sailing Association have shared dock space in downtown Bay City’s Wenonah Park. SBCSA’s mission is to provide affordable sailing lessons and affordable access to sailing for the youth and adults of the Mid-Michigan area, to promote interest in sailing as a life-long sport, and to develop teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-confidence in our students through experiential learning.

As of September 2017, BaySail has taken on the day-to-day management duties of the Saginaw Bay Community Sailing Association. Both organizations look forward to the continued collaborations this strong partnership allows for.

STUDIO 23/THE ARTS CENTER

Since its humble beginnings in 1959, Studio 23 has been a staple of the arts in Bay City and throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. It is the mission of Studio 23/The Arts Center to provide the Great Lakes Bay Area with a visual arts center and embrace creative educational activities involving the community. The gallery is dedicated to making the arts relevant and accessible to all.

BaySail has partnered with Studio 23 at various times over the years. Most recently, the organizations have collaborated on a day camp program for 10-12 year olds that will utilize the services of Studio 23, BaySail, and the Saginaw Bay Community Sailing Association called Beakers, Brushes, and Boats.