Ocean Classroom

Each fall since 1994, 22 Proctor students have boarded a tallship and sailed from Maine to Caribbean waters. On Ocean Classroom, you are not just a passenger studying marine science, maritime literature, history and navigation, but an active crew member. From the first moment you board the vessel, you are divided into “watches”, the core working group on any ocean-going vessel, answering directly to their professional watch officers. Twenty-four hours a day, watches rotate, learning to operate all aspects of the schooner, and eventually independently sailing the 135 foot ship.

After nine weeks studying and working with professional educators and crew aboard the schooner SSV Corwith Cramer alongside our partner organization Sea Education Association (SEA), students are transformed learners, marine biologists, navigators, and experienced sailors. Ocean Classroom has the potential to be one of the most powerful experiences that a Proctor student can have. Are you ready?

Last night on bow lookout, I was fortunate enough to witness a pod of whales on our starboard side. As if this wasn’t mesmerizing enough, we were greeted earlier today by several porpoises as we sailed north. As we began to see the lights of Rockland in the distance, we gathered in the center of the deck singing classics as Holly strummed softly on the ukulele. Although a polaroid was taken, I don’t believe a photo could ever fully capture the emotion of this moment. - River ‘22

Meet the Instructors

Proctor's Ocean Classroom instructors are experienced nautical educators who have sailed the world and worked on educational vessels. They possess a wealth of education and field experience, and pour their passion and talent into Proctor’s students each term at sea. Learn more about the educators at our partner organization Sea Education Association HERE.

Courses and credits

Students enrolled in Ocean Classroom receive the following course credits:

Marine Science (Science)
Maritime Literature (English)
Maritime History (Social Science)
Navigation and Applied Mathematics (Math)
Seamanship Skills

Contact Info

To learn more about Ocean Classroom, contact Ocean Classroom Co-Directors John Bouton and Heidi Thoma.

The Power of the Off-Campus Experience

Proximate learning does not occur without risk, but it is in those moments when students are living their education alongside the issues they are studying that worldviews are transformed.

Ocean Classroom 2023 Symposium and Final Reflections

As students presented their research projects, shared about their voyage, and beamed with pride to their families, we sat in awe of what they were able to accomplish. Teenagers are capable of so much more than we think; we/schools just need to give them a chance to show us.

Ocean Classroom: Voyaging the Open Waters

The past two weeks at sea since leaving Lunenberg, Nova Scotia have proven harrowing as they navigated high seas, arrived in Bermuda for 24 hours before casting lines and getting back on the water in order to beat another potential hurricane.

Ocean Classroom: Lunenberg Adventures

Proctor's 30th year of Ocean Classroom adventures continues as the student crew aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer arrived in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia and continued their marine studies in the harbor town.

Ocean Classroom 2023: A Week at Sea

Proctor Academy’s 30th year of Ocean Classroom voyages set sail aboard the SSC Corwith Cramer on Monday, October 2023 after a three week shore component of the program.

Ocean Classroom 2023: Shore Studies and Preparing to Set Sail

Next week at this time, Proctor’s Ocean Classroom 2023 will be at sea aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer on their way across the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia. This first leg of their journey at sea comes after a three week intensive shore component of the program on the Sea Education Association campus in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Ocean Classroom Celebrates 30 Years: A New Partnership Sets Sail with SEA

The goal of Ocean Classroom is simple: expose high school kids to the power of living at sea while connecting their learning to the ocean, its ecosystems, and its history.

Proctor Academy Announces New Ocean Classroom Partner in SEA

It is with great enthusiasm that Proctor announces a new partnership with Sea Education Association (SEA) out of Woods Hole, Massachusetts for the fall Ocean Classroom program.

Ocean Classroom: A View from the Keys

En route to Mobile, Alabama to see first hand the last slave ship to arrive in America (the Clotilda) and to continue their studies on the history of involuntary servitude, injustice, and the Civil Rights Movement in America, the crew of students from Proctor and the MET High School are well on their way to becoming true sailors.

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