Shenandoah, The Next Generation Campaign
A New Ship to Empower Youth and Preserve a Legacy
Through 63 years of service, the topsail schooner Shenandoah has shaped over 15,000 lives, fostering:
Resilience • Happiness • Purpose
These are the strengths we all want for our children.
Expand your legacy by supporting the
Shenandoah, The Next Generation Campaign.
Your gift will…
Expand
The new hull will empower us to offer semester-long voyages during the school year, deepening our work with young adults (ages 18 and up).
Improve
Upgrades will make the ship safer, more accessible to individuals with physical and mental limitations, and compliant with US Coast Guard regulations.
Preserve
Once rebuilt, Shenandoah will continue to serve youth (ages 8–17) from Martha’s Vineyard and beyond during the summer.
Join us in sailing toward a bright future.
Without your support, Shenandoah and her unique program will soon be gone.
Phase 1 Goal: $6,250,000
Raised: $3,713,000 (59%)
Ocean Academy has earned support from over 600 families, foundations, and individuals.
The Edwards-Harris Family Foundation has committed $600,000 to match gifts of $5,000 or more toward Phase One of our campaign.
Give today and see your dollars matched 1:1!
Ocean Academy accepts gifts by check, credit card, cash, donor-advised funds, transfers of securities, and cryptocurrencies.
Campaign Objectives
Strengthen our community by building resilience, confidence, and purpose in the next generation.
Ensure that thousands of young people continue to benefit from transformative voyages aboard Shenandoah.
Preserve Shenandoah as a unique cultural and educational treasure.
Phase One – 59% Funded
$6.25 MILLION GOAL | New hull, deck, and mechanical systems built at a qualified commercial shipyard.
Phase Two – 20% Funded
$2.5 MILLION GOAL | Complete the interior and rigging of Shenandoah II’s new hull in our homeport of Vineyard Haven. Community education and engagement will highlight this public phase of fundraising and construction.
Endowment & Expansion – 36% Funded
$1.1 MILLION GOAL | Support program expansion and a scholarship endowment.
“Everybody on the boat helped me grow so much. I learned to reign in my anxiety, face my fears, and try new things.”
— Eleni S., 2021–2 Participant
Name a Stateroom
Click a button below to contribute $250,000 (or more) and name 1 of 12 new staterooms aboard Shenandoah II.
Stateroom 2 Named
Stateroom 4 Named
Stateroom 5 Named
Stateroom 9 Named
Stateroom 11 Named
Email us to learn about additional naming opportunities aboard the new Shenandoah.
Contribute to Our Scholarship Fund
Help ensure price is not a barrier to Ocean Academy participants.
Sponsor a Class Voyage
Full Tuition for Three Learners
Full Tuition for Two Learners
Full Tuition for One Learner
Sponsor One Learner
*The “full tuition” opportunities represent the actual cost of participation, and the “sponsorship” opportunities represent a portion.
Other Methods for Contributing
Donte Cryptocurrency
Ocean Academy accepts cryptocurrency donations. Our cryptocurrencies are stored and managed through Coinbase.
Transfer Investments
Transfer your investments directly and securely into Ocean Academy's investment account. Call or email us for more details.
Donate Your Boat
To Support Positive Youth Development
Join our Annual Fund
Annual giving that supports scholarships and the highest priorities of Ocean Academy.
