Vineyahd Kids

Grades 4th–6th

Registration is now open for Vineyahd Kids.

Registration is now open for Vineyahd Kids.

A Rite of Passage Toward Resilience

Today’s kids face more challenges than ever, but resilience is forged through real-world experiences—not screens.

For over 30 years, most Vineyard kids in grades four through six have embarked on a weeklong voyage aboard Shenandoah.

  • Develop confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills

  • Deepen their connection to their Island heritage

  • 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.

Kids watching fireworks at Martha's Vineyard Ocean Academy

June 30–July 5

Availability: Complete

Fireworks & Cannons (Vineyahd Kids 1)
Big group of kids holding their values flag aboard Shenandoah

Aug. 25–30

Availability: Complete

Summer Finale (Vineyahd Kids 2)

June 30–July 5 (complete)
August 25–30 (complete)

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.

Choose A Voyage

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 2025

Ocean Academy welcomes all Martha’s Vineyard elementary school students aboard Shenandoah for an unforgettable experience.

June 30–July 5

Fireworks & Cannons (Vineyahd Kids 1)

Availability: Open

Aug. 25–30

Summer Finale (Vineyahd Kids 2)

Availability: Complete

To register for multiple weeks, please complete a separate registration for each voyage.

Support Ocean Academy’s Vineyahd Kids program by making a tax-deductible gift today.