In the coming weeks, the Wylde Swan ship is taking an educational voyage across the Atlantic Ocean (from the Caribbean to the Netherlands) with 30 secondary school students between the ages of 15-17 on board.
Masterskip Wylde Swan is an innovative educational project with a mission to bring science alive and create an inspiring and demanding environment for teenage students. In a five-month sailing trip (from October 2015 - April 2016) secondary school students join the expedition for six week periods to become crew members and be educated on board the ship. From 6 March - 24 April 2016, a group will board the ship to sail from the St Maarten (Caribbean) to Rotterdam (the Netherlands), crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The students will learn about sailing, life at sea and the ship. Education on the ship will focus on the direct application of science, for example, navigation, how to make fresh water from sea water, how to dissect a freshly caught fish or the volcanic history of the Caribbean.
The EU H2020 funded project Sea Change has teamed up with the Masterskip Wylde Swan initiative to reinforce its strong Ocean Literacy element. The Sea Change project aims to establish a fundamental “Sea Change” in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea, by empowering them, as Ocean Literate citizens, to take direct and sustainable action towards a healthy ocean and seas, healthy communities and ultimately a healthy planet. Masterskip trainees will provide Sea Change with stories about their experience of the Atlantic Ocean and ocean related science, which can then be used as material create enthusiasm for others to learn about the ocean. Jan Joris Midavaie, guest lecturer and junior researcher in marine litter, is onboard the ship collecting data about the tiny bits of plastic that float around in the sea, called microplactics. He uses a very fine net to ‘fish’ for plastic in the Atlantic Gyre. He will send the Sea Change project regular updates about his work on board the Wylde Swan.
Jan said: “In preparation for the voyage I have been looking for partnerships and collaboration in ocean and coastal science to teach the trainees about subjects related to the ocean and allow them to spread their experience and research findings among a broad range of people.”
In the coming weeks, the Sea Change project will post blogs and pictures sent by the students over the course of their adventure. To read about how the crew are getting on, click on the blogspot below.
More information about the ship and the program can be found at: http://www.wyldeswan.com/training-education/masterskip.
For more information about the Sea Change project, visit www.seachangeproject.eu.
