Lake Michigan belongs to everyone.
The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation exists to bring the joys and benefits of boating to all, with primary focus on youth from underrepresented communities.
Despite living in a lakefront city, 15% of Chicago families report never visiting Lake Michigan—that’s hundreds of thousands of people.
— Read more at Voices of Child Health in Chicago¹
Fulfilling Daniel Burnham’s belief that the lakefront belongs to the people, we are getting Chicago’s youth on the water.
Creating Access to Unexplored Spaces on & off the Water
Fostering Inclusion & Equity in the Boating World
Empowering through Education & Skill-building
The Youth We Serve
Why Boating?
"Sailing fosters teamwork, communication, and social integration, helping participants develop essential life skills and overcome social barriers."
—Read more in the Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice²
Youth participation in sailing leads to improved “problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and concentration.”
—Read more in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning³
Help us make new waves!
¹ Mary E. Heffernan, Caroline Menker, Anu S. Kozhumam, John H. Walczak, Allison Bendelow, Madeline Casale, Taylor L. Smith, Matthew M. Davis, and Michelle L. Macy, Chicago Families and Safe Swimming in Lake Michigan, Voices of Child Health in Chicago Report, vol. 5, no. 3 (May 2023). Available at: https://www.luriechildrens.org/globalassets/voices-of-child-health-in-chicago/voices_may2023_safe-swimming-in-lake-michigan_final.pdf.
² Iago Portela-Pino, Pedro Ponciano, and Daniel Duclos-Bastías, “Impact of Sailing on the Development of Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review,” Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice 24 (2024).
³ Stewart Cotterill and Hazel Brown, “An Exploration of the Perceived Health, Life Skill and Academic Benefits of Dinghy Sailing for 9–13-Year-Old School Children,” Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 18 (2018): 1–15.