Vineyahd Kids
Grades 4th–6th
Registration is now open for Vineyahd Kids 2026.
Registration is now open for Vineyahd Kids 2026.
A Rite of Passage Toward Resilience
For over 30 years, most Vineyard kids in grades four through six have embarked on a weeklong voyage aboard Shenandoah. Aboard the ship, students:
Develop confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills
Deepen their connection to their Island heritage and the surrounding sea
Create new friendships in a unique, unplugged environment
Let your ‘Vineyahd Kid’ embark on this unforgettable journey that will shape who they become. Sign them up for a week aboard Shenandoah today.
To register for multiple weeks, please complete a separate registration for each voyage.
August 24–29
Availability: Open
Aug. 31–Sept. 5
Availability: Open
August 24–29 (open)
August 31–Sept. 5 (open)
Cost: Tuition discounts available. Click on a voyage to explore our sliding scale pricing.
• 5.5 days voyaging
• 5 nights at anchor
• Possible port visits
Activities
Sailing, hiking, small boat rowing, small boat sailing, swimming, personal time
Sea Time
Upon completing the program, students receive their first sea service letters, a key step toward obtaining a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s license.
“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, Vineyard Montessori Student
Play Video
Aboard Ocean Academy’s schooner Shenandoah, students step onto an even playing field, where existing social structures shift, and cliques dissolve.
Sample Day Itinerary
0700 — Wake up
0715 — Deck wash, brass polishing, bunk inspection
0800 — Breakfast with a lesson on tides from the captain.
0900 — Goal setting with watch groups
1000 — Experiential games in rope use, anatomy of rope, and knots
1100 — Personal time
1130 — Begin preparations for sailing
1200 — Sailing
1300 — Lunch is served while sailing
1400 — Watch group instruction, demonstrations, and hands-on sailing lessons
1600 — Personal time while sailing
1700 — Ship anchors, sails and rigging are stowed
1730 — Swimming
1830 — Dinner is served
1930 — Watch-group reflection
2000 — Sea stories and poems from the Captain
2130 — Lights out
Join A Voyage in 2026
Ocean Academy welcomes all Martha’s Vineyard elementary school students aboard Shenandoah for an unforgettable experience.
August 24–29
Availability: Open
August 31–Sept. 5
Availability: Open
To register for multiple weeks, please complete a separate registration for each voyage.
