Program Description

This boat-based program will have a two-pronged focus. The first prong will explore the economic and social history and current conditions of the maritime trades and industry in the Pacific Northwest. Beginning with a brief introductory history to Puget Sound as an economic resource, we will then focus deeply on the contemporary economic and work climate in the maritime industries and trades with emphasis on the Northwest region. We will use the disciplines of economics, sociology, race and gender studies, as well as reading and analysis to gain an understanding of the nature of today's maritime work and economy. Field trips and an extended sailing expedition will include visits to a variety of maritime businesses, tribal communities, historical locales and ports where economic development issues are evolving.

The second prong will focus on the experience of working as crew, the development of leadership within small groups, and the creation of an intense and powerful learning community. Using systems thinking, current ideas in organizational behavior, and the personal experience of our sailing expedition, students will finish this program with a strong appreciation for the complex, dynamic power of working in a group.

Students should expect to read and write extensively throughout the expedition as well as at home. Workshops and practical application will develop students' skills in mathematics, basic geometry, map reading and weather.

Program Objectives

Students who successfully complete this ten-week program will have begun to develop skills for...

· explaining how economic, social, cultural, and historical contexts have shaped the maritime industries in the Pacific Northwest
· working collaboratively; This includes leading, following, managing conflict and attending to individual differences as well as continual commitment to personal responsibility and self-awareness.
· communicating in a variety of contexts: speaking, writing, reading, listening as well as giving and receiving feedback;
· using a variety of perspectives to reach conclusions;
· thinking critically and integratively as demonstrated through written work, and discussions;
· utilizing quantitative and symbolic reasoning as applied to piloting skills including practical mathematics such as basic algebra and geometry; reading tide, current, and other complex tables; unit conversions; vector diagrams, and interpreting charts and data.;