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| #1 |
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| Q:
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How do I enroll? |
| A: |
Call us toll free 888-942-5375
or email us through our contact
page on this site. We will interview
you and your cadet to see if Waterman
Academy is an appropriate program
for your family. |
| #2 |
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| Q:
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Why is Waterman
Academy only open to young men? |
| A: |
An overwhelming amount of young
men are behaving distant, defiant,
uncooperative, and argumentative,
they lack motivation, the desire
for physical activity, and they
lack discipline, and compassion
and even self worth. Oddly enough
they share something in common
with overachieving young stellar
men; they wish to grow up too
fast and be thought of as a man.
Young men don’t desire to
be lifeless; it’s generally
a reaction to an event or circumstance.
Regardless of the “why”
he is choosing his behavior, it
is important to his future he
takes responsibility and makes
life changes starting immediately.
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| #3 |
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| Q:
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How does your crew
discipline the cadets if they
do something incorrectly or break
the rules while on the ship? |
| A: |
The discipline involves consequences
that come in the form of push-ups,
pull-ups, sit-ups and a stern
verbal account of what they did
wrong. The Physical Training (PT)
is a major component of our program
and many of the graduates increase
their strength, endurance and
water skills after 3 short weeks
at sea. |
| #4 |
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| Q:
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What if a teenage
boy in the academy wants to get
off of the ship and go home? |
| A: |
In the State of California we
can not hold a minor against his
will. We offer a contract for
the parent and cadet; in the event
he needs to be removed from the
academy he will be transported
to a modification program where
they can hold him against his
will. This is a very useful tool
to prove how serious the parent
is about seeing a change in their
son. This is not a mandatory contract,
the overwhelming majority of the
cadets don't want to leave....ever!
If a cadet wants out of the academy
his parents are contacted immediately
and arragements are made to transport
him to the closest port for pick
up. |
| #5 |
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| Q:
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How strict are your
rules for accountability and behavior? |
| A: |
We are very strict and hold
each cadet accountable for his
actions. Much of the structure
in our academy is required for
safety while at sea. Our program
is an "Academy" and
we run it exactly that way. Structure,
accountability, discipline, positive
and negative consequences are
all part of daily life in any
academy. |
| #6 |
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| Q:
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Can I talk to or
write my son letters while his
is in the academy? |
| A: |
We allow one phone call during
the 21-day academy. The phone
call will take place after the
second week at sea and last for
approximately 10 minutes. It is
our experience that phone calls
and letters from home can actually
be quite disruptive to the progress
that the cadets are making in
the first two weeks of the academy. |
| #7 |
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| Q:
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Is your program
simply for fun while living on
a ship and learning how to SCUBA
dive, etc.? |
| A: |
No, we are not a program simply
for fun. We are a highly structured
academy that teaches the traditional
aquatic skills that define a "Waterman"
and in the process help the young
cadets become responsible young
men. The boys have a tremendous
amount of fun during the academy
while learning the academics and
mastering the physical skills
required for graduation from the
academy. |
| #8 |
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| Q:
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Do you offer any
scholarships or financial assistance
to those who cannot afford the
academy? |
| A: |
We provide a "Letter of
Support" that many of the
boys use to raise some of the
money on their own from family,
friends and neighbors. All monetary
donations to sponsor a cadet are
tax deductible. We do seek corporate
sponsorships however potential
cadets need to write letters asking
for the support or aid themselves.
You can do this directly with
any corporation or foundation.
A cadet is most likely to suceed
if he helps to raise his own funding;
it provides a value to his experience
he would not otherwise had. |
| #9 |
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| Q:
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Have you ever had
to dismiss a cadet from the academy
and take them off of the ship? |
| A: |
Yes, unfortunately we have.
The rules on the ship are very
simple and strictly enforced.
We have a "Zero Tolerance"
for anyone on the ship who threatens
or attempts to harm another passenger.
The cadet will be immediately
removed from the ship and dismissed
from the program.
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