communityspotlight Building More Than Boats—Lowcountry Maritime Society Builds Character and Community: An Interview with Prentice Brower, Executive Director by Jennifer Iamele Savage
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he mission of the Lowcountry Maritime Society (LMS) is to help facilitate and promote the connection of the coastal South Carolina community with our natural marine environment. LMS works with schools and aligns curriculum to provide a hands-on supplement to the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) curriculum.
How did your organization get started? Brower: LMS formed in 2014. The founding chair of our board, Matthew Milling, and I met while I was working to repair his wooden schooner, “Welcome.” He had formed the nonprofit to get kids out on the boat, but it was a side project for him and he never really got anywhere with the organization beyond forming it and filing for the 501(c)(3) status. He told me about it, and after a few months, I asked what he was doing with it. He replied, “Nothing, take it.” We then worked together to form the board and begin to form our mission. In general, we loved the water and wanted to share all things maritime with the community. I did a good bit of research and found other programs in the country that taught using small wooden boats as the teaching platform. I spoke to other folks who had done similar things, and before we knew it, we were in the courtyard of Sanders Clyde Elementary School with 20 fifthgraders, and then 20 sixth-graders, four days a week, teaching them all how to build their own wooden boat. The idea and the program took off from there! 16
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We have been working to develop it and improve ever since. Our best development has probably been adding in-school programs (as opposed to just after-school programs).
How do you serve the lowcountry? Brower: I think we serve the lowcountry by providing an impactful education program in schools that engages students in learning STEAM skills, but also connecting them with their natural environment and the local community (including other students from other schools). I hope that we are helping our students to build passion and pride for this beautiful region that we all live in and share, the lowcountry.
What volunteer opportunities do you have for the public? Brower: We are constantly looking for committed volunteers to help in school programs; for help at our boatyard building kits and preparing materials for programs; to help with a new program we are starting, Saturday Rowing, which will take place on Saturdays at Brittlebank Park; and to help with our major events. We run programs all year round, so there is almost never a bad time for willing participants to dive right in.
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What have been some of the greatest successes of your organization? Brower: First of all, getting off the ground with the first program in year one was HUGE for us. We realized we had something worth sharing after the first year’s initial success. Since then, we have found a way to serve several schools and still keep program quality high and the original mission intact. We have been able to get volunteers to help expand our reach, especially through the College of Charleston’s Honors Engaged program. Finally, we have successfully worked with schools and teachers to form a program that truly synchronizes with what students are learning in school. The reality, however, is that our success is owed to teachers, parents, school administration, volunteers, and, of course, the folks who work for LMS who have seen what we do and what we are working to accomplish. Our mission has pulled a lot of people into the fold, and we are so grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow alongside the students. Jennifer Iamele Savage is a transitional life coach and a secondary Montessori educator. Her latest project, the Mindfull Mamas Project, aims to coach women who are struggling with the identity of motherhood and help them uncover their creative voice so they can step into their purpose and rediscover who they are. Connect with her at InspirationAndBliss.com