August 12, 2003

IT'S "ANCHORS AWEIGH" AS PEOPLE'S BANK SPONSORS SCHOONER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A group of Hamden and New Haven-area schoolchildren will learn the basics of seamanship and sailing through "Sail New Haven" thanks to a grant from People's Bank as part of the bank's commitment to its communities and youth development throughout the state.

Run by Schooner Sound Learning, Sail New Haven pairs children ages 11 to18 with certified U.S. Sailing instructors. The group works on team-building and leadership exercises as well as nautical skills such as navigation and water sailing drills. Students will sail to Sandy Point, Lighthouse Point and Long Wharf and experience a variety of maritime activities at each location.

The children selected for the program, which runs Aug. 4-18, are participants in People's Bank-sponsored mentoring programs in the Hamden school system and at New Havens East Rock School, according to Jeff Vernon, Peoples Bank market manager for Hamden/North Haven. Approximately 15 to 20 students will participate in Sail New Haven, according to Beth McCabe, executive director of Schooner Sound Learning. Schooner Sound Learning also offers other programs, including Sea Urchins for ages four to five and Sea Sprites for grades one to three.

"This is the first year we are involved with Sail New Haven and Schooner Sound Learning," said Vernon. "We're glad that People's Bank could provide these children with a unique opportunity that they otherwise might not have. This program teaches them everything from leadership to the importance of preserving Long Island Sound and its ecosystems."

"The unique thing about this program is that we're all over the place," said McCabe. "We will take the Sail New Haven students to a variety of locations and give them a range of experiences related to Long Island Sound and sailing."

Schooner Sound Learning is a private, non-profit marine education organization dedicated to the conservation of the environment, particularly Long Island Sound and the rivers of Connecticut, and appreciation of their culture, history and future.

People's (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing consumer, commercial, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with assets of $12 billion;155 branches, including 60 in convenient Super Stop & Shop locations;and more than 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales, supermarket banking and is the nation's 19th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.