EXPERIENCE > YOUTH ACTIVITIES > SAILING AND BOATING
Reported by Tabby Keefer and Nekko Deutsch, Youth Correspondents
Plenty of young people leave home for learning experiences, whether it’s for summer sleep-away camp or to obtain a degree at a major university. Not quite so many leave home to go to school at sea. Still, these opportunities do exist and may be the perfect alternative to a more traditional education for young adults interested in a life at sea.
In the summer of 2013, the 4-H Marine Ambassadors Camp provided a few lucky teens an opportunity to see what studying and researching at sea was all about by partnering with Oregon State University and the crew of the 64-foot sailing vessel, Ocean Watch.
Mark Schrader is the captain of the Ocean Watch and a veteran sailor and researcher. One of Mark’s most notable voyages was called Around the Americas in which the ship circumnavigated North and South America. That year-long excursion took the captain and his three person crew to 53 ports-of-call in multiple countries. It was the subject for a documentary, and also the National Atmosphere and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) featured the voyage in their Oceans Today program. To learn more about this voyage, click here.
“The science we conducted onboard was really important for our Around the Americas program,” Schrader told Oceanscape Network volunteers Tabby and Nekko during an interview held onboard the Ocean Watch. “We wanted to be able to find out what we should be looking at in terms of the health of the ocean, why it was important and maybe get some ideas on how to change it.”
To do this, onboard scientists did atmospheric, water quality and acoustic studies in the coastal areas of 26 different countries. Because of its history as a research vessel, the Ocean Watch was the perfect vessel for the Marine Ambassadors Camp. During the six day camp, participants performed surveys of marine plants and animals and used remotely operated vehicles (commonly known as ROVs) to study the underwater worlds of the Yaquina Bay in Newport. The experience culminated in an open house hosted by the students in which they shared the results of their studies and encouraged the public to take a more active role in ocean conservation.
Reported by Tabby Keefer and Nekko Deutsch, Youth Correspondents
Plenty of young people leave home for learning experiences, whether it’s for summer sleep-away camp or to obtain a degree at a major university. Not quite so many leave home to go to school at sea. Still, these opportunities do exist and may be the perfect alternative to a more traditional education for young adults interested in a life at sea.
In the summer of 2013, the 4-H Marine Ambassadors Camp provided a few lucky teens an opportunity to see what studying and researching at sea was all about by partnering with Oregon State University and the crew of the 64-foot sailing vessel, Ocean Watch.
Mark Schrader is the captain of the Ocean Watch and a veteran sailor and researcher. One of Mark’s most notable voyages was called Around the Americas in which the ship circumnavigated North and South America. That year-long excursion took the captain and his three person crew to 53 ports-of-call in multiple countries. It was the subject for a documentary, and also the National Atmosphere and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) featured the voyage in their Oceans Today program. To learn more about this voyage, click here.
“The science we conducted onboard was really important for our Around the Americas program,” Schrader told Oceanscape Network volunteers Tabby and Nekko during an interview held onboard the Ocean Watch. “We wanted to be able to find out what we should be looking at in terms of the health of the ocean, why it was important and maybe get some ideas on how to change it.”
To do this, onboard scientists did atmospheric, water quality and acoustic studies in the coastal areas of 26 different countries. Because of its history as a research vessel, the Ocean Watch was the perfect vessel for the Marine Ambassadors Camp. During the six day camp, participants performed surveys of marine plants and animals and used remotely operated vehicles (commonly known as ROVs) to study the underwater worlds of the Yaquina Bay in Newport. The experience culminated in an open house hosted by the students in which they shared the results of their studies and encouraged the public to take a more active role in ocean conservation.
Additional Resources:
There are many opportunities for young adults to receive an education at sea. These are just a few and we would encourage you to discuss additional opportunities with your school guidance counselor.
Semester at Sea: This program is conducted aboard the MV Explorer, a modern and safe passenger ship that circumnavigates the globe twice a year and explores a world region each summer. Complete with a student union, wireless Internet, 9,000-volume library, and many of the amenities you’d find on a land-based campus, the ship functions as both a traveling university and residential home to more than 2,000 participants each year. Click here for more.
SEA Semester: An internationally recognized leader in field-based environmental education at sea, SEA Semester educates undergraduates about the world’s oceans through our Boston University accredited study abroad program. SEA is based on Cape Cod in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Click here for more.
Seamester: This program allows students to study abroad by spending a semester at sea exploring the world. Along the way, participants earn college credits and work toward professional certifications in sailing and SCUBA diving in some of the world’s most incredible destinations. Click here for more
Semester at Sea: This program is conducted aboard the MV Explorer, a modern and safe passenger ship that circumnavigates the globe twice a year and explores a world region each summer. Complete with a student union, wireless Internet, 9,000-volume library, and many of the amenities you’d find on a land-based campus, the ship functions as both a traveling university and residential home to more than 2,000 participants each year. Click here for more.
SEA Semester: An internationally recognized leader in field-based environmental education at sea, SEA Semester educates undergraduates about the world’s oceans through our Boston University accredited study abroad program. SEA is based on Cape Cod in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Click here for more.
Seamester: This program allows students to study abroad by spending a semester at sea exploring the world. Along the way, participants earn college credits and work toward professional certifications in sailing and SCUBA diving in some of the world’s most incredible destinations. Click here for more