Egan Maritime's Educational Programs:
Egan’s educational programs provide diverse, hands-on learning opportunities for Nantucket students at every stage of their academic journey. Our mission is twofold: to connect students with the Island’s rich maritime environment beyond the classroom and to cultivate the next generation of maritime professionals. By equipping local youth with the skills and experiences needed for careers on the water, we strengthen their futures and our coastal community.
Thanks to generous donors, Egan's education programs are 100% free. If you want to invest in transformative educational experiences for Nantucket youth, click here.
We’re excited to share our new video showcasing the student journey!
From classroom experiences to hands-on learning at sea, your support empowers Nantucket students to connect with their island’s maritime heritage in meaningful, lasting ways. This film captures the heart of our education programs—and the difference you make in every story we tell and every student we reach.
Classrooms & Collaborations
Classroom Collaborations by Grade Level:
Primary School:
Egan Maritime partners with classroom teachers at the Nantucket public schools; we partner with Nantucket's two independent schools to teach students about maritime history and science through physics and science. Our K-5 educational offerings include lessons on Nantucket's Lighthouses, ecological field trips to Foldger's Marsh, Breeches Bouy Demonstrations, Marshall the Sea Dog Story Time, and more!
Middle-School:
Egan Maritime centers our middle school educational programs around Grades Seven and Eight students. Our lesson plans prioritize Aquaculture, Oceanography, Engineering, and Design and Modeling. These lessons are project-based, enabling students to learn through hands-on experiences that bring theory to life in their own hands. In 2024, our offerings included scallop dissections, water quality labs, cardboard boat building, Tall Ship Lynx sailing, and Underwater Archaeology.
High School:
Egan Maritime partnered with Nantucket High School to create a maritime studies program. Egan Maritime developed the curriculum and supports a full-time teacher at Nantucket Public School. We offer credit-bearing courses to provide students with a clear pathway to job experience and college credits in specialized maritime fields.
The fall term emphasizes marine science and aquaculture, while the spring term includes a technical course in vessel operations, repair, and maintenance. Through this hands-on work, we continuously seek ways to engage students directly with industry professionals in shipbuilding, port operations, marine science, and other essential maritime sectors.
Education Over the Years
Since expanding into education in 2011, Egan Maritime has grown from a single sailing partnership into a year-round maritime education program serving Nantucket students of every age. Our work now spans accredited science and career-pathway courses, Tall ship sailing, museum field trips, off-island learning experiences, and hands-on programs for our youngest mariners. To date, we've reached more than 13,800 students, and we're still growing.
Timeline:
Egan Maritime expanded into education in 2011. Here's how the program has grown since then.
- 2014: We partnered with Tall Ship Lynx. The program has grown from 8 student sailors to more than 300 each year. (300 students)
- 2015: Our Oceanography Course became a fully accredited science course for every 8th grader at Cyrus Peirce Middle School. (560 students)
- 2017: We began offering enrichment programs to all schools, working with about 300 students each year. (1,500 students)
- 2018: We launched school field trips to the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum. (4,700 students)
- 2022: We introduced two Innovative Pathways Courses at Nantucket High School, Marine Science and Vessel Operations, and welcomed our first career pathway interns. (6,800 students)
- 2023: We added off-island field trips to regional maritime institutions, museums, aquariums, and colleges. (11,000 students)
- 2025: We expanded Tall Ship Lynx sailing opportunities for all grades, with a focus on grades 4, 8, and high school. (12,000 students)
- 2026: We started the Maritime Club at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, offered boat-building opportunities, and launched "Mini Mariners" at the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum for children ages 7 and under. (13,800 students and growing!)
Beyond Nantucket - Postsecondary Education Opportunities
Each year, Egan Maritime works with Nantucket High School students to expose them to educational opportunities related to postsecondary maritime studies. This includes coordinating visits to Nantucket High School and Egan Maritime from a diverse range of New England colleges that offer marine education or maritime studies. These visits aim to educate students, community members, business owners, and educators about opportunities available within this sector. The Nantucket Golf Club Foundation generously underwrote the cost of these visits.
Our intern, Cecilia Wendelken, summarized these opportunities into a brochure.
In the Community
Beyond the classroom, we have strategically partnered with local organizations to expand our reach. Curious minds of all ages will be able to explore the museum and partake in a series of programs designed to celebrate and promote Nantucket’s seafaring history.
Key Community Partners & Collaborators
- Nantucket Boys & Girls Club
- Nantucket Community School
- Nantucket Conservation Foundation
- Nantucket Historical Association
- Nantucket New School
- Nantucket Public Schools
- Linda Loring Nature Foundation
- Saltmarsh Senior Center
- The Tall Ship Lynx Educational Foundation
- Town of Nantucket Harbormaster