Tall Ship Programs
Our academic, curriculum based programs are suitable for grades 4-12 and can be tailored to fit any level or theme.
Our curriculum includes hands on scientific research and species dissection, as well as the collaborative learning necessary to sail the ship together. Teachers or group leaders work with our staff prior to their program to ensure that the curriculum complements work in the classroom and is at the appropriate level for their group. Because our programs are very interactive, engaging and hands on, students reading and writing at low levels are able to fully participate and feel a connection with science and the ocean that they may have never experienced before.
Teachers and youth leaders may also choose activities that focus on the history of California, early explorers, navigation, the physics of sailing, and maritime literature on the California State Reading List such as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Youth work for three hours twice a week for nine weeks to build a traditional boat. Students learn job skills, practical application of geometry, math and science, project planning, the experience of seeing a project through from start to finish, and job site behavior. Youth also learn to sail on our 20 foot cat boat Caterena and the 137 foot tall ship Bill of Rights. The project culminates in a community celebration where families and community members gather to launch the new boat and celebrate the success of youth who may not have ever been celebrated before. We can also build boats in two weeks with youth building and sailing for 30-40 hours per week.
Ongoing relationship building is key to success with the youth we serve so we also offer opportunities for programs on shore to help us maintain the Bill of Rights, work in our boatbuilding shop, conduct scientific research and collections with our teachers, and help establish our community native plant garden.
