Giving Tuesday

“When I went home that day I noticed something… I had changed from that field trip. When my mom took me home I felt very responsible and brave. But I also had some awesome stories to tell.” – A Peabody 4th Grade Student, participant of the Spirit Program.

One of the Maritime Museum’s proudest accomplishments is the Spirit Program developed by the Ocean Institute in 1980 that is based upon Richard Henry Dana’s book, Two Years Before the Mast and its increasing popularity. Accompanied by adult crew members playing the parts of the book’s characters, fourth–grade students, who are studying California history, experience Dana’s 1835 port call to Santa Barbara during an overnight stay aboard the tall ship Spirit of Dana Point.

A testament to the vision of SBMM’s founders, the Spirit Program exemplifies SBMM’s mission by providing a hands-on, living experience to students who have likely never been on a boat or visited our harbor. The program gives students the opportunity to row around the harbor looking for hides and tallow hidden by the crew, cook a meal for their classmates in the galley, or stand night watch on the water at two in the morning, thereby creating unforgettable experiences.

SBMM is creating educational experiences for children of all ages that celebrate the Santa Barbara Channel and illuminate our rich connections with the sea. On this GivingTuesday, we encourage you to join us with a generous gift. Your support ensures 400+ children continue to experience this wonderful program and so many more SBMM programs.