For the fourth year in a row, Orion was fortunate enough to sponsor local high school students in the annual Panthers at Sea event at Shoreline Marina in Long Beach, California. This year’s event was held on 11 May 2019 and was sponsored by the Panthers at Sea Committee with support from the Seal Beach Yacht Club, Shoreline Yacht Club, Long Beach Singles Yacht Club, and the US Sailing Center. The Panthers at Sea Committee works with the Long Beach Marine Bureau and Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) to provide students from Long Beach Jordan High School with a day on the Pacific Ocean.
During the event, small groups of students along with representatives of the LBUSD are assigned to a private sailing yacht. Each group member is responsible for sailing the yacht with tasks ranging from helmsman to handling lines during a tack. Vigilant skippers/owners provide guidance to each group to keep the event fun and safe.
Jordan High School started the Panthers at Sea Committee in 1998 to allow for a science teacher to share his passion for sailing with his students. The program has grown from 45 students in 1998 to more than 90 students in 2019 under the guidance of a volunteer committee. Faculty at Jordan High School credit the program with sparking new interest in marine biology at other sciences within the student body.