Summer Ambassador Program 2008
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
World Ocean School’s Summer Ambassador Program is an opportunity for
students to set sail for three weeks aboard the 137-foot National Historic
Landmark schooner Roseway, completing voyages off the coast of New England
and the Canadian Maritimes. Designed to teach community building through leadership,
communications, ethical decision making, and environmental responsibility
as well as technical sailing and outdoor judgment skills, this summer program
can be a life-changing experience. The program will provide students with
skills transferable to the challenges presented by the complex world in which
we live. Students will be expected to serve as ambassadors of the World Ocean
School in the communities they visit and in all of the activities in which
they participate.
ITINERARY 2008
Session One runs from July 6to July 26 and begins and ends in Portland, Maine.
COURSE SPECIFICS
The three weeks you spend aboard Roseway will be an experience you will never
forget. You will become a competent sailor, skilled in navigating by chart
and compass, handling lines, raising and trimming sails, steering a course,
understanding weather, and comparing what you see with what the radar says.
You will learn both how to become a member of a team as well as how to lead.
You will develop compassion for your fellow watch members as you learn both
to rely and to support each other when the going is tough. You also will build
relationships with maritime communities on shore and engage in service projects
with them, developing your understanding of how community building works and
practicing tough decision making in the process.
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Along the way, you’ll be learning about our ocean, skies, and planet.
Most important, though, you’ll also be learning about yourself and the
unique gifts you can offer your shipmates and the world around you.
A Typical Day While On Watch
As a participant in the program, you will work towards becoming a competent crewmember. You will be assigned to one of three watches and work on deck in a rotation throughout the 24 hours of the day. (For example, you may work from midnight until 04:00, then sleep, eat, and study until your next watch at 12:00.) You will be involved in all aspects of the boat’s operation, from handling sails and navigating on the open sea to preparing meals and dish duty in the galley. There will always be a chore rotation within and between watches so everyone will get an equal chance to perform all aspects of operating Roseway.
A Typical Day While Off Watch
Your days will be busy with hands-on learning activities including studies in marine science, fishing, marlinspike seamanship, natural and world history, meteorology, and astronomy with special reference to celestial navigation. You will maintain a personal journal and take part in leadership development and decision-making workshops. You will have a period of free time each day to read, do creative projects, and relax with your new friends. You will sleep well in a dry bunk below deck, tired from the day’s experience and well fed from food you and your crewmates helped prepare in the galley.
As your skill as a crewmember develops, you will earn progressive rank and be given the opportunity to take on more responsibility in the control of the boat. Some participants may earn the right to one day join the full-time crew.
EXPECTATIONS OF LIVING ABOARD
Students joining the Summer Ambassador Program agree to the following rules
throughout the entire session, whether on land or on the vessel:
- Participation will be 100-percent in all program aspects.
- Participants in the program will live in a physically and emotionally safe
environment. Behavior that contravenes this will not be tolerated.
- Activities off the vessel during free time must always be in pairs.
- We hold strictly to a zero-tolerance policy of no drinking, no smoking,
and no drug use.
- Living and learning aboard Roseway is an exciting and intense experience
that is diminished by electronic media such as laptops, Blackberrys, PDAs,
iPods, DVD players (and anything else with an on/off switch requiring battery
or electrical power), therefore students are not allowed to have these items
aboard the ship. Cell phones will be kept in a secure place by the crew, and
will be returned to students only during free time on shore.
Program participants who do not follow these rules and expectations will be removed from the course without refund of their tuition.
SAFETY AND CREW
The safety of our students and crew is of utmost importance. For this reason
we require:
• Experienced crew in sailing and educating
• Well-maintained equipment
• Well-practiced safety procedures
• Carefully selected itineraries
The Roseway, recently rebuilt and re-certified:
• Meets the highest standards for safety
• Was redesigned specifically to serve students in an educational capacity
• Holds a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection
• Meets all of the international requirements for safety at sea and
maritime pollution agreements
Our professional crew, who operate the vessel and supervise students at sea:
• Are highly qualified and have direct experience with sailing vessels
and projects of this scope
• Consist of two licensed captains, a licensed first mate, a second
and third mate, a cook, and three qualified deckhands
• Are trained in first aid/CPR and WFR
• Are experienced not only at sea but also are experienced educators
ROSEWAY SPECS AND ACCOMMODATION
| Grand Banks fishing schooner built November 24, 1925 by John F. James & Son, Essex, Massachusetts | Safety gear in accordance and compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard |
| 137’ L.O.A. | U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection |
| 112’ L.O.D. | 400 h.p. diesel engine and two Gensets |
| 90’ L.W.L | Two 17-foot Dion dories |
| 25’ Beam | One 14-foot Zodiac with 15 h.p. engine |
| 12’6” Draft | Galley with head and shower |
| 5,600 sq. ft. Sail Area | Main Salon with six crew accommodations |
| Radar, GPS, VHF | Cabin A: 12 bunks |
| Satellite phone, Single-sideband radio | Cabin B: 16 bunks |
FEES AND EXPENSES
Tuition per session: $4,800 U.S.
Financial Aid: Aid can be provided through grants and loans of various kinds. Please contact the World Ocean School if you need to explore these possibilities.
Refund Policy: As payments become due and payable they are nonrefundable.
Other Expenses: World Ocean School students should anticipate some additional expenses. The following amounts are only estimates.
Roundtrip airfare $500 U.S.
Passport $60 U.S.
Clothing (see attached list) $200 U.S.
Spending cash $100 U.S.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants are selected on the basis of the following criteria:
• A desire to learn and participate in community building and inquiry
• Suitability and strength of character
The following items must be submitted before a student’s application
can be fully evaluated:
1. A completed application form. Click here to download PDF.
2. One professional reference form completed and returned to our office directly
by the referees. The referrer should be a professional who knows the candidate
well (e.g., a teacher, coach, or employer—not a friend or relative).
3. A one-page essay, addressing what contribution the student feels he/she
can make to the Summer Ambassador Program and the communities we visit.
4. A medical form and release form
Only 16 spaces are available in each session, so early registration is advised.
Qualified students are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.