Egan Maritime Institute and the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club have partnered to provide Island youth with positive, educational, and developmental maritime experiences throughout the year. These programs reflect Egan Maritime Institute’s ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of Nantucket children through hands-on maritime history, ocean science, and STEAM-based learning.
A cornerstone of this collaboration has long been “Saturdays at the Museum,” monthly school-year field trips that bring Club members to the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum for guided tours and interactive activities. Students explore Nantucket’s maritime heritage through hands-on learning experiences focused on marine science, lifesaving history, and the Island’s unique coastal environment.
Building on this success, the organizations have expanded their partnership with several new initiatives. This year marked the launch of the Maritime Adventure Club, an after-school program for middle school students that meets weekly. The program connects students with Nantucket’s maritime community through experiential learning and field trips. Participants have gone scalloping, toured Sankaty Light, visited local marinas and maintenance workshops, and created oyster spat collectors alongside the Town’s Natural Resources Department.
“The partnership with the Club is a perfect example of how Egan can work with key community organizations to provide diverse, hands-on learning opportunities for Nantucket students,” said Carlisle Jensen, Executive Director of the Egan Maritime Institute. “These experiences extend learning beyond the classroom and help cultivate curiosity, confidence, and interest in maritime and science-related careers.”
Thanks to generous donor support, students will also participate in two off-Island educational field trips this spring. Club members will visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the New England Aquarium, two nationally recognized centers for maritime history and ocean education. Scheduled on school holidays, these trips provide meaningful enrichment opportunities for students who remain on Island during those breaks.
“We have worked alongside the Egan Maritime Institute for many years, and their commitment to engaging, experience-based maritime education has made a lasting impression on our members,” said Tara Corbett, Program Director at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. “Egan has a special way of bringing Nantucket’s maritime history to life that genuinely excites our kids and keeps them eager to learn more.”
This summer, the partnership will continue with a special sailing experience aboard the historic tall ship Tall Ship Lynx. Nantucket Boys & Girls Club campers will have the opportunity to sail aboard Lynx, where they will learn traditional seamanship, explore Nantucket’s maritime legacy, and build confidence through hands-on adventure at sea.
“With Lynx’s abbreviated public schedule this year, we remained committed to ensuring Nantucket students could still experience sailing aboard this historic vessel,” Jensen added. “Partnering with the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, one of the Island’s most trusted and impactful youth organizations, was a natural and meaningful way to make that possible.”
Together, the Egan Maritime Institute and the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club are ensuring that Nantucket’s maritime heritage remains a living, accessible resource, empowering the next generation through education, exploration, and connection to the sea.
