High School Students are Getting a Chance to Set Sail for Education

High school students are getting the opportunity of a lifetime in Suttons Bay on a three day boat trip!

They’re getting the chance to set sail in the Grand Traverse Bay to study underwater species.

The Inland Seas Education Association is giving students a chance to get out on the water to do some hands on research themselves.

“There’s a lot that they’re learning and I’ve had high school students tell me its life changing,” Tom Maynard, Volunteer Coordinator and Educator.

A life changing experience on a three day trip called Young People in Stem.

“We will go and troll for fish and examine the fish in the Great Lakes. We will also do a plankton tow and look for plankton in the Great Lakes,” says Maynard.

The trip is essentially a full course on researching the Great Lakes.

“We also check for micro plastics and we do a section on life at the bottom by taking actual scoops out of the bottom of the lake,” says Maynard.

Learning lessons they can use on any vessel.

“They’re learning how to operate the sails, they’re learning how to how to steer the ship and basic ship operations,” says Maynard.

But the biggest takeaway is the responsibility of sailing a forty-five ton ship.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity because you’re working and learning on a tall ship,” says Maynard.

The next course, Young Men in Stem, sets sail from June 21 to June 23rd.

For information on how to sign up head to website.