Milwaukee Kids Still Sail the Denis Sullivan

When World Ocean School acquired the three-masted schooner Denis Sullivan from Milwaukee’s Discovery World, doors opened for kids from in Milwaukee, Boston, St. Croix, and many other places to build lifelong sailing friendships while sailing on the Atlantic Ocean.

World Ocean School’s Eden Leonard and Madeleine Sandler will visit the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center on May 2, 2024, to share updates about the Denis Sullivan, the World Ocean School story, to celebrate Milwaukee’s young sailors, and build momentum for more life-changing tall-ship experiences.

World Ocean School (WOS) was founded in 2002 by Dwight Deckelmann and Abby Kidder when they re-floated and restored the historic pilot schooner Roseway to give youth and young adults from Boston a platform to learn about seamanship and respect for the ocean and its life.

WOS students vary in age, education and background and learn to work as a team while facing down some of their own fears and limits. Crews report life-changing, confidence-building, eye-opening experiences. Over 23 thousand sailors have sailed with World Ocean School.

After taking over from the founders, Eden Leonard and the WOS Board completed a formal marine survey of Roseway and decided to undertake a multi-year modernization project to ensure the ship’s long life. To continue programming without interruption during restoration, WOS decided to acquire an additional vessel.

The 137-foot three masted schooner Denis Sullivan was built mostly by Milwaukee volunteers and launched in 2005 and run as an educational tall ship by Discovery World (DW) until Covid interrupted sailing.

The lease terms between WOS and DW include two keys:

• Milwaukee remains the Denis Sullivan’s hailing port
• Some students sailing the Denis Sullivan out of Boston and St. Croix (its new homes) would be Milwaukeeans, who will meet and build relationships with kids from other places.

In early 2023, the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center (MCSC) joined as a third partner in the project, helping to raise scholarships and recruit sailors. As one of the preeminent not-for-profit sailing schools in this country, MCSC trains young sailors via its youth and staff recruitment programs, which center on fun, friendships, and community. In 45 years of service to Southeastern Wisconsin, more than thirty thousand kids and adults have learned to sail at MCSC. In two trips in 2023, seven teens from MCSC youth program and staff joined other World Ambassadors to sail the Denis Sullivan out of Boston and St. Croix and more will sail soon.

In 2024, the partners are planning to expand their collaborations with three more trips and by building the capacity to ensure that more Milwaukee kids can have the experience and the program can continue for years to come.

Event Details

• May 2nd, 2024
• 6-8pm
• MCSC Windhover Room
• Music, refreshments, clips and stories from WOS and MCSC kids, Q&A
• Suggested donation: $50
• RSVP Required
• Interviews with local media

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.