Marine Log - March 2008 - (Page 28)

MARITIMESCHOOLS ICE CLASS TANKERS MARITIME SCHOOLS There are a variety of marine and maritime schools that have opened in many cities around the country. The following are some examples. New York Harbor School (Grades 912) Brooklyn New York The school, initially funded by “New Visions for Public Schools”, is a part of the N.Y. Department of Education. There are currently 96 new vision schools in New York City. The school has developed a partnership/mentoring program with SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx. www.nyharborschool.org Palm Beach Maritime Academy (Grades K-8) West Palm Beach Florida The academy is a charter school that is tuitiion free, with grades K to 8 and 400 students. www.pbmm.org Maritime Academy Charter High School (Grades 5-12) Philadelphia Pennsylvania This school opened in 2003 and presently has over 700 students. The school is developing a model apprentice program with K-Sea Shipping and a partnering/mentor program with SUNY Maritime College. www.maritimecharter.org Maritime Industries Academy (Grades 9-12) Baltimore Maryland This private school has been working with faculty at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) the Master Mates and Pilots union training school to utilize the school facilities for their students. Mar Vista High School (Grades 9-12) Imperial Beach California The high school has a partnership with MSC under its Cadet Shipping Program. The program is designed to provide prospective MSC employees the required sea service and is the same program utilized by the Maritime Academy’s for their shipping program. www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvh children of mariners then from a new source of individuals through education and awareness. That group is the underserved urban students from our cities. A maritime education can provide the gateway to a career that offers steady employment, excellent pay, further education and a solid future. MARITIME SECONDARY EDUCATION Most people are familiar with the image of the cabin boy serving tea to the passengers on the Titanic or the powder monkey passing shot to the gunners in movies such as “Master and Commander.” These are accurate portrayals of how marine education had been conducted for hundreds of years. It was very much a hands-on experience, learned aboard ship for all officers and crew. The picture began to change in the mid- and late 1800’s with the openings of the U.S. Naval Academy and the first civilian maritime school in New York City. The New York Nautical School was opened aboard the USS St. Mary in 1874, followed by school openings in Philadelphia in 1889 and Boston in 1891. During this period, ships were evolving from sail to steam and becoming more sophisticated. A number of accidents indicated a need for a better method of mariner training than the traditional on board apprentice approach provided. This system to educate the officers remains in place with additional schools opening in the 20th century in California, Texas, and Michigan. The federal government opened the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in 1941. The education of unlicensed seamen was done on the job in the traditional manner of the ships apprentice up until the outbreak of World War II. The requirements for large numbers of trained mariners necessitated a quicker method than the apprentice model provided. As a result of the war a number of seaman training centers were open around the country. These centers were closed after the war. In 1946, the War Shipping Administration transferred the Liberty Ship SS John Brown to the New York City Board of Education. Brown served as a vocational high school until 1982. In a period of 36 years, over 5,000 young men, in addition to receiving a high school education, acquired maritime training in the deck, engine and stewards departments. Many of these graduates went on to a career at sea, in the navy, shoreside maritime industry or attended a maritime academy. In 1966, the Marine Engineers Benefi- cial Association (MEBA) opened a school in the Southern Hotel in Baltimore, MD. The program designed for high school graduates trained third assistant engineers in an apprentice program of formal classroom education and time as an apprentice at sea. This was a three year non-degree program in contrast to the four year degree programs offered at the state and federal academies. The school produced over 2,035 graduates from 1966 to 1986, the year it closed. In 1967, the Seaman’s International Union (SIU) created the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training in Piney Point, Md. Attached to the center is the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship that trains entry level seaman. The school enrolls high school graduates between the ages of 18 and 30 and puts them through an apprentice program to qualify as entry level seaman in the deck, engine and stewards department. The program consists of classroom training as well as shipboard training. The school has trained over 21,000 graduates and remains in operation. In addition to the Maritime Academies and Lundberg School, all of the maritime unions, MEBA, SIU, AMO and MM&P operate training facilities supported by their contracted shipping companies. These schools provide continuing education and upgrading courses for the union’s members. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MARITIME EDUCATION In 2001, the U.S. Maritime Administration recognized that a shortage of mariners was starting to develop. A conference, sponsored by MarAd and the U.S. Coast Guard, titled “Maritime Careers Creating an Action Plan for Recruiting and Retaining American Mariners,” was held at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, to discuss the public education and awareness of the maritime industry. A follow up meeting on implementing action plans was held in 2002. Since those meetings, maritime institutions at the primary and secondary education level have flourished and are now educating and graduating a new generation of mariners from our urban cities. The process of maritime education has come full cycle and these programs have the look and feel of their predecessors, the New York Nautical School of 1874 aboard the St. Mary and the New York City High School of 1946 operating aboard the SS John Brown. www.marinelog.com 28 MARINE LOG MARCH 2008 http://www.nyharborschool.org http://www.pbmm.org http://www.maritimecharter.org http://www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvh http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - March 2008

Marine Log - March 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Navy's Toughest Battle Building Future Fleet Less Fuel, Lower Emissions A New Generation of Mariners Training for the Future LNG Security: Resources Needed Models of Perfection Tech News Newsmakers Contracts Events Infodirect Website Directory ML Marketplace Opinion

Marine Log - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.