Hauppauge, New York, USA – Globecomm announced its sponsorship of an educational programme called School at Sea. The innovative programme, run by a Dutch foundation, allows secondary school-aged students to be a part of life on a ship at sea over a six-month period. The foundation’s programme is seen by experts from the Dutch National Maritime Museum and Leiden University as an innovative way of using communications to provide real world experience on the seas to young people. Globecomm is donating the technology, in this case one of its FleetBroadband satellite terminals, which enables video, voice and data onboard ships as well as airtime to ensure reliable telecommunications and greater safety for the young people who are working and travelling on board the ship.
During the School at Sea project students will spend six months on board a tall ship at sea. In October 2014 the three-masted topsail schooner, Regina Maris, left the port of IJmuiden in The Netherlands to begin the first leg of a journey towards Tenerife. The ship is sailing the West Indies’ trade route with its crew of teenage voyagers.
According to Globecomm CEO Keith Hall, “This educational project is providing students an experience they will never forget and teaches development skills, such as problem-solving and team-building, that are invaluable in the workforce. Globecomm is proud to support this innovative programme.”
Because of the quality of the communications system onboard the Regina Maris, the students have been able to continue their education. Their distance learning work includes student blogs and social media updates of their experience on the ship. Their coursework is sent back to their teachers in the Netherlands using the satellite communication services provided for by Globecomm.
“At Globecomm we believe that education, motivation and team-building are important. Our company is proud to sponsor the telecommunications part of the project because it demonstrates the applications that we also enable for our maritime industry customers,” said Rolanda de Jonge, Sales & Marketing Manager, Globecomm Europe.
“The communications provided by Globecomm are profoundly important for the success of our programme,” said Monique Touw, Director of the School at Sea project. “A foundation with limited funds would never be able to create these opportunities alone.
