US Coastguard Day
August 4th is U.S. Coastguard Day. The Coastguard of the United States was organized in 1790 and is the longest, continuously serving seagoing agency. There are just over 34,000 Coastguards to accomplish the Coastguard Mission which includes ensuring the safety of ports, waterways, and coastal areas, aiding other seagoing vessels with navigation, marine safety, search and rescue, defense and readiness, and ice operations. The Coastguard has 250 Cutters (65 feet or longer), 1,784 boats (less than 65 feet) and 198 aircraft. The Coastguard motto, Semper Paratus, means Always Ready. Although the Coastguard is not as large as the Army, Navy, or Air Force, the members of this service save lives every day and keep our coastal waters safe.
Activity for kids…
Draw a boat (60 feet by 20 feet) with outdoor chalk on the blacktop. Have the kids take chairs out and place inside the “boat”. Note: Be sure to have plenty of drinking water for each student. Have students report to the boat, and except for going ashore to use the bathroom, have them spend the after-school program on the boat, seeing what it would be like to be in such close quarters with other. Debrief the experience having students share insights and thoughts about the experience.
Consult 4 Kids has a long history of advocating for youth and the adults who are their positive role models and mentors. To learn more about our work, please visit our website at www.consultforkids.com, email us at support@consultfourkids.com or call us at (661) 617-7055.