Season 4 of the Educational Passages Podcast continues with our "Imagine This" series — where the magic of miniboats comes alive through the voices and visions of those who make it all possible.

Each episode will paint a vivid picture of discovery, connection, and curiosity — not just tracking the voyages, but exploring the challenges and unexpected outcomes behind them.

Now press play, close your eyes, and imagine this:

What happens when a person that finds a miniboat decides to help build one? Since 2021, Fishery Officer Brittany Jay has answered the call when student-built miniboats wash up along the rugged coast of Newfoundland and Labrador — first the BHS Roweboat from Rhode Island, and P.I.E. on the Tide from Maine. Each recovery sparked classroom connections that stretched across borders, and a new question began to take shape: what if students here could be the ones launching, instead of relaunching? This episode follows Brittany's journey from finder to builder, the partnership with Avoca Collegiate and the Qalipu First Nation in Badger, and the unforgettable day a small community gathered to unveil the Newfie Crew 709 — a boat, a dream, and a story now ready to set sail.

Visit educationalpassages.org/boats/newfiecrew709/ for more information about the boat and project, as well as educationalpassages.org/boats/bhsroweboat/ and educationalpassages.org/boats/pieonthetide/ for more about the other boats mentioned in this episode.

Support the show

Educational Passages is a non-profit organization that seeks to connect people around the world to the ocean and each other through unique global experiences.

Season 4 of the Educational Passages Podcast continues with our “Imagine This” series — where the stories behind our miniboats reveal something even deeper than ocean currents and GPS tracks.

Each episode invites you to step into a moment of possibility — to feel the anticipation, the uncertainty, and the extraordinary connections that unfold when students send something small into a very big ocean.

Now press play, close your eyes, and imagine this:

Ever heard of six degrees of separation? Well, this is a story with only one. In May 2026, three miniboats found themselves connected by a thread no one had ever planned for. To understand how, you have to rewind ten years, to a brand-new research vessel's very first cruise and a high school science project that nobody quite expected would still be sailing in 2026. Along the way: a buoy array, the Azores, an Albatross, and a decade-long coincidence we're still trying to wrap our heads around.

Support the show

Educational Passages is a non-profit organization that seeks to connect people around the world to the ocean and each other through unique global experiences.

Season 4 of the Educational Passages Podcast continues with our “Imagine This” series — where the stories behind our miniboats reveal something even deeper than ocean currents and GPS tracks.

Each episode invites you to step into a moment of possibility — to feel the anticipation, the uncertainty, and the extraordinary connections that unfold when students send something small into a very big ocean.

Now press play, close your eyes, and imagine this:

The Cape Cod Sea Turtle Project, where students, scientists, and community partners work together to understand how ocean currents impact cold-stunned sea turtles. Through the use of student-built miniboats and drifters, classrooms become part of real-world research—tracking movement, collecting data, and uncovering patterns in the ocean. This is a story of hands-on learning, collaboration, and discovery, showing how understanding the movement of water can help protect marine life and power the blue economy.

Sources & More Info:

• Educational Passages Project: https://educationalpassages.org/capecodseaturtleproject/
• Mass Audubon Sea Turtle Project: https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay/projects/sea-turtles
• Studentdrifters.org
• Page FM, Manning J, Howard L, Healey R, Karraker NE. 2023. Developing bottom drifters to better understand the stranding locations of cold-stunned sea turtles in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. PeerJ 11:e15866 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15866).
• Cold Stunned Sea Turtles: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/cold-snaps-and-stunned-sea-turtles
• More on Jim Manning's work: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/low-cost-technology-helps-connect-fishermen-and-students-science

Support the show

Educational Passages is a non-profit organization that seeks to connect people around the world to the ocean and each other through unique global experiences.