An awards ceremony will take place tomorrow to honour young people who stepped out of their comfort zones for the challenge of a life on the ocean wave.

The Bermuda Sloop Foundation, which runs the Spirit of Bermuda sail training sloop, will highlight “outstanding students, crew and supporters” involved in its programmes.

David Goodwin, the charity’s chairman, said: “The emphasis is to bring the youth of Bermuda up a couple of notches in their emotional and social skills and their maturity.

“To build their confidence to be able to step up and sustain themselves, to not be dependent on the Government, to build resilience to support themselves by experiencing being taken out of their comfort zone and meet some challenges that they can eventually learn to master.”

He added: “The awards ceremony is for those recipients that have mastered these steps and the schools that have supported our initiative and the parents that have been thankful for the transformation.”

Mr Goodwin said that “the whole of Bermuda” should be proud of the trainees.

The BSF said on its website that it recognised “that children learn differently and many of Bermuda’s youths do not acquire information optimally in a traditional classroom setting”.

It added: “On board our floating classroom, Spirit of Bermuda, we provide character and educational development for Bermuda’s youth using the unique attributes of structured experiential learning through sail training — learning by doing.

“By providing this alternative learning environment, we strive to increase their positive life outcomes, and to create awareness of and pathways to technical, mechanical and marine-related careers for young Bermudians.”

The awards event will be held on the North Lawn at Dockyard, next to the Spirit of Bermuda’s berth, from 6pm and is expected to be streamed live on Facebook.

The BSF asked that anyone who planned to go to the ceremony should wear a mask and keep a safe distance from others.

Mr Goodwin said that the charity expected summer charters and camps on Spirit to go ahead after the ship was inspected by the Department of Health and approved for 50 people on deck and 17 in lower-deck accommodation.