Local students in St John and St Thomas got the chance to explore marine career opportunities this year when the World Ocean School’s 137 foot schooner pulled into port this April for a week of fun and education. The SV Roseway is a registered US National Historic sailing vessel built in Massachusetts in 1925 – outfitted with the same traditional tanbark sails of early sailing days when she was first used as a fishing vessel, the Roseway next spent some 40 years as a live-aboard vessel for the Boston Harbor Pilots – cruising the mouth of Boston harbor. Since the time of her donation in 2002 to the World Ocean School (WOS) this pristinely restored schooner provides the platform for a variety of educational purposes year-round and is based in Boston in the warmer months and St Croix during the Northeast winter. For many students this is the first time they have ever explored the waters around the island of their birth. Being exposed to this world of possibilities and learning the skills necessary to begin a marine-related career has made a huge impact on the number of Virgin Island youth who go on to higher education programs in these fields. Senate President Shawn-Michael Malone began organizing educational trips with the WOS in this district four years ago after participation in an excursion with a group of St Croix students. “I am totally committed to exposing our young people to careers on or related to the water as we as Virgin Islanders remain underrepresented in these fields and unfortunately most of these jobs and money go to people from outside our Territory,” Senator Malone said. Students learn about navigation, seamanship, marine biology & ecology, and the many marine-related career opportunities available to them right on their doorstep here in the Virgin Islands. Read more about the World Ocean School & Senator Malone’s mission to expose local students to opportunities on the water.