Sea Change Expeditions

Since 2014 we have competed 14 expeditions, have had 69 crew aboard, sailed 4,500 nautical miles, visited dozens of schools and talked to over 4000 students, teachers and community members. Through our Clean, Cold and Clear Challenge, we bring a message of hope and action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on Lake Superior.

2022 was a fantastic year. Due to our family situation, we stayed closer to home than usual and dove deep into programming with local schools who have integrated our program, boat visits, and carbon-related challenges into our curriculum. In the spring months Katya and Mark visited three schools regularly and culminated the season with a day at the Amicus II. We also visited three schools as a single event.  Two enriching pieces of this May's trip: we were able to take a Canadian university student aboard again!  Teigan Labor (credit photo above) had waited three years to cross the border and sail with us. Also, we had an incredibly musically talented group this year and hosted several evenings of Celtic fiddling, with two accomplished fiddler crew! Harmonized singing was the norm this year. 

In June we took five teens aboard to sail around Isle Royale. With strong local support we were able to offer significant financial support for several local students--another goal reached. This group came from five different communities and included an out-of-state student from Pennsylvania. 

What a thrill to be back on the water and back into the schools! We learned a lot from the covid years and have permanently brought much of our programming to the boat--outside--after seeing how well it can be done. Mark has honed a gripping Edmund Fitzgerald sinking story which rivets class after class. We use a donated microscope to view our findings in our homemade microsplastic net....altogehter we feel that years of effort have paid off and we have two tried-and-true approaches to empower young people who deeply care about Lake Superior. All done with your help.

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Excerpts from our voyages from former years below......

"I have a climate change toolkit now."  --See Change Teen "You have charged my batteries for the coming year."  --Sea Change teacher  "This month has been truly life-changing."  --Sea Change young adult

Lake Superior and surrounding communities are deeply affected by climate change.  Solutions are imminent, and critical.  We know this, and prioritize it every day.  Sea Change allows teens, teachers, and young adults to join veteran sailors and climate activists on an expedition sailboat each spring and summer.  Sea Change crews learn, teach, and work on climate solutions in communities around the lake during voyages ranging from 3 to 30 days. Sea Change provides participants with the tools they need to become climate champions, a skill they take home with them.    

 When we return to a school, we see signs of our trip from a past year.  We see the “No Idling” signs we donated, posted throughout the parking lot and hear a teacher talk about how they have learned to discourage idling for parents and bus drivers.  Or we hear students talking about their composting system.  Or a teacher tells us the response they got from their packet of letters to their elected official. Our track record shows that a small trip can make a big difference. 

 Our fees are on a heavily sliding scale so that everyone has access to our trips.   Your donations fill the gap, allowing us to welcome young people into our program, regardless of their ability to pay.  For every dollar participants pay in tuition, we have to raise an additional dollar before we set sail in the spring.

Thank you for your support of Sea Change and your dedication to young people who are working towards a livable future.