Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Summer Camp for Seafarers

While at a recent boat show we came across the best place in the world to send your kids to camp this summer... On the water!

Spending a couple of weeks on a 125 ft schooner cruising the waters of New England instead of being land locked at the usual craft, tennis, band and soccer camps sounds refreshing in today's cookie cutter world.

The mission of the Ocean Classroom Foundation states that they are "committed to sending students and their teachers to sea, on voyages in which the traditions, values and adventure of maritime life provide a unique context for education."

The crew we spoke with at the boat show (pictured) told us that students leave their electronics on shore, and work their tails off on their ship in a very safe and supervised environment. The kids learn an appreciation for the ocean, teamwork and a working knowledge of seamanship that could never be attained in the soccer fields because all students participate fully in the life and operation of the ship. Many students get so much out of their experience they come back and work on the ships as crew while in college.

The Ocean Classroom is offering Seafaring Camp for teens 13 – 16, and an advanced Seafaring Camp for older teens (15 – 18), in July and August this summer.

For more information about these programs, as well as the organization's Semester at Sea, visit the Ocean Classroom Foundation website.

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