Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Media Advisory 6.2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Theresa M. Barbo

774.263.4219

MassSail WhaleSail Scholarships Available to Bourne/Falmouth Students Aged 13-16
Scholarships Courtesy of Kingman Yacht Center, Cataumet

(Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA) - Five $1,000 scholarships are available to students from Falmouth and Bourne for MassSail's WhaleSail program, open to students aged 13-16 who are interested in studying marine science for a week aboard Spirit of Massachusetts, a 125-foot schooner July 22 thru July 28. 

Scholarships are courtesy of Scott Zeien, owner of Kingman Yacht Center in Cataumet.  Application deadlines are due July 10.

MassSail - a joint venture between the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) and Ocean Classroom Foundation (OCF) - is a series of dockside and at-sea marine education programs designed to promote public understanding and stewardship of Massachusetts' marine coastal ecosystems aboard Spirit of Massachusetts.  WhaleSail, now in its second year, is a key component of MassSail.

WhaleSail takes students on a seafaring expedition into the maritime wilderness to study humpback, finback, minke and right whales in their natural habitat. Students sail aboard Spirit along the coast of Massachusetts and southern New England to find the great whales in their summer feeding grounds, as scientists and educators from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies lead investigations into whale biology, natural history and conservation.

Participants become part of the crew and work the boat, living as sailors, learning seafaring skills such as navigation and keeping watch. 

WhaleSail sails from Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina on July 22, and returns to Fan Pier on July 28.

For more information on MassSail, visit www.coastalstudies.org , or call Theresa Barbo, director of communications at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, at 508.487.3622, ext. 103.  To learn more about WhaleSail scholarships, contact Laura Hunt at Ocean Classroom Foundation at 800.724.7245, or by email at mail@oceanclassroom.org.

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’30 Years of Discovery & Commitment’

The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies [www.coastalstudies.org] is a non-profit organization dedicated to research, education and conservation of the marine and coastal environments through applied science and education programs.  PCCS is internationally renowned for its whale research and rescue activities, and is a leading authority in

science-based resource management policies in Massachusetts.

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The Ocean Classroom Foundation [www.oceanclassroom.org] is a non-profit educational organization that provides sea education and adventure for the youth of America.  Ocean Classroom is a leader in experiential education, with award-winning programs sailing from the Canadian Maritimes to the Caribbean Sea. 

PCCS Contact

Theresa M. Barbo

Director of Communications

508.487.3622 x103  (office)

774.263.4219                (mobile)

ccsmedia@coastalstudies.org

OCF Contacts

Laura Hunt

Program Coordinator

mail@oceanclassroom.org

800.724.7245 x100       (office)

Jenny Doak

Communications Coordinator

800.724.7245       x105   (office)

jdoak@oceanclassroom.org