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.

June 30–July 5

Availability: Open

Aug. 25–30

Availability: Join Waitlist

June 30–July 5 (open)
August 25–30 (join waitlist)

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 2025

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

June 30–July 5

Availability: Open

Aug. 25–30

Availability: Join Waitlist

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.