| Last updated on November 1, 2007 |
To inspire the diverse communities of Oakland - especially youth - to experience their Estuary waterfront, for purposes of recreation, education and competition.
Description:
We believe that by teaching water sports (kayaking, rowing, dragon boating) – which often means our participants must overcome their fear of water and/or learn how to swim – we are also teaching critical life skills.
We utilize our beautiful natural resource, the Oakland Estuary, to make water sports accessible to all Oakland residents, especially those who live in the flatlands and who might otherwise never have a chance to try them. The three major stumbling blocks to making boating truly accessible to all are
- the cost
- transportation to and from the waterfront and
- the fact that many of our participants are not able to swim at all and/or are afraid of the water.
To address these three challenges, we have worked to make our classes low-cost or free, have secured two 15-passenger vans as well as recruited drivers to provide transportation for our fall and winter students, and have coordinated with Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation to offer swimming lessons for many of our participants. We are the leading urban boating program in the U.S. to recognize and address these challenges and thus make water sports truly accessible to all.
History:
For generations, Oaklanders have been cut off from their waterfront: both the 880 freeway and the Amtrak/Pacific Union railroad tracks have served as visual and psychological barriers between the Estuary and the rest of the city.
Aware of this fact, in 1992 the Oakland League of Women Voters commissioned then-City Attorney Richard Winnie to explore the waterfront’s opportunities. Winnie’s findings emphasized the need to open the waterfront to the public and to connect the waterfront to Oakland’s neighborhoods. Two years later Vincent Horpel, then the crew coach for Berkeley High School and an accomplished rower himself, founded the Jack London Aquatic Center to lobby for the development of a recreational aquatic center on the shores of the Oakland Estuary.
In June 1997 the Oakland City Council unanimously resolved to engage the Jack London Aquatic Center, Inc. to design and construct an aquatic center facility in Estuary Park, allocating $1.5 million to the project from Oakland’s Measure K Open Space bond fund. This underwriting was complemented by major grants from the public and private sectors. Construction was completed and the Center dedicated in October of 2000.
Since January 1, 2002, the Aquatic Center has been managed and operated by Jack London Aquatic Center, Inc., in agreement with the City of Oakland. Under that agreement, The Jack London Aquatic Center, Inc. now holds community-based water sports classes, licenses out aquatic center space to other groups and rents the upstairs community room facilities to the public.
Contact people:
Main office number: (510) 208-6060
Office fax number: (510) 208-6071
Address:
Web Site: http://www.jlac.org
Directions:
 |
The Jack London Aquatic Center is located at 115 Embarcadero, between 5th Avenue and Oak Street, in Estuary Park, where the Lake Merritt Channel meets the Estuary in Oakland. It is approximately one mile east of Jack London Square along the Embarcadero.
Please see complete directions with a map on our website at http://www.jlac.org/location.php. DO NOT USE ANY ONLINE MAPPING TOOLS AS THEY WILL GIVE YOU INCORRECT DIRECTIONS. Thanks!
Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Lake Merritt BART,
Walk distance (in minutes): 10
Nearest Bus Stop: 72, 10 minute walk |
Miscellaneous Information
| Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency? |
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No others
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| What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency? |
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15
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| Is your agency wheelchair accessible? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20? |
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Yes
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