Adventure School

We are finding that the school work we are doing is altering the way our children learn. They are genuinely interested in what is happening around them on many levels, so the ‘want-to-know’ factor is prevalent. The result is that they are engaged in their own learning and are seeing the immediate value of their knowledge. They are keen to learn and are therefore taking ownership in their education.

(from “School, Fish and Racing Sailboats” blog post January 2016)

We are passionate about travel and sharing creative learning adventures with our kids. About eight years ago we were inspired to try something different. We did a heap of research, packed our bags with books and hope and have not looked back. Loving what we do, and living a creative life are qualities which resonate with us. We are teaching on the go and yet learning as a team, and as a family. Usually, we spend roughly six-months on land and six-months at sea.

We realize there are many types of home-schooling families. Though we don’t seem to fit into most categories we have found. We are homeschooling, but mostly not at home. We are not running from a failed system; we are not overtly religious. We just want to travel, learn more about the world and educate our own curious children along the way. We call our program “Adventure School” or “Travel School.”

We originally chose the Calvert Homeschool model as a base, which worked very well for us in the beginning. However, we didn’t follow it to a “T” as we found a lot of the topics of learning were not congruent with the places we were traveling… for instance, why study US history in Europe? So we modify the kids’ curriculums annually to fit our travels. We cover all the required subjects, but we study European history in Europe, read Cervantes in Spain, and Melville in the Bahamas, for example.

Over time, we have developed a more eclectic approach to our curriculum, using courses from a variety of sources. Our curriculum for 2020-2021 will include:

World History and Geography

Biology & Earth Science

Spanish I and Spanish II

Essay Writing, Typing, Cursive Writing, Literature

ASL (American Sign Language)

Debate Club (online)

American Art/Fine Arts Study

College Readiness and Study Skills

Small Business Entrepreneurship

Music (Piano)

PE: Sailing, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Baseball, Weight Training

Often while traveling, we do not have access to high speed (or any speed at all) internet, so we are careful not to base our school time completely reliant on computer connections. Our “Adventure School” is a bit “old school”. We read a LOT of books, though we do use some online programs including Mr D Math, Outschool, Calvert Online, BraveWriter and IXL.com. Our Spanish classes are 1:1 (online) with a teacher in Guatemala.

We have discovered an unusual model for educating our children, which has blossomed above and beyond anything we could have expected. This plan of ours is hard work – but it also works very well for us all. We love what we are doing and our children/teens are thriving!

In this digital format Tony and I chronicle our family adventures – exploring and learning as we go. Please subscribe to receive updates on our journey, and send us notes – we love feedback and questions are welcome!

Thank you for reading – xx Lynne

(edited AUG 2020) Originally published July 2, 2015

“Leave the Dock and Good Things Happen.” Tony often says this – which applies to boats on every level – but also to life in general. Sometimes you just have to let loose the docklines and… go.

We love traveling and to share a life of experiential learning with our children has been more than fulfilling for the entire family. And so we have decided to continue this path for now… because we love it.

(Counting mountains in the Dolomites. Lake Garda, Italy. September 2014)

*Our Field Study lists detail the physical locations of foreign language, history, science, art, geography and sports experiences which are a large part of our travel-school education within each school year.

Locations of Study 2020-2021

*(In progress)

Newport, Rhode Island

Locations of Study 2019-2020

Newport, Rhode Island

Fort Adams State Park/National Historic Landmark (tour), Newport RI

The Moving Wall: Vietnam Veterans Memorial (replica)

Doris Duke House & Museum, Newport, RI

Whaling Museum, New Bedford, MA

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, MA

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, MA

One Rabbit Farm, Jacksonville, FL

New Smyrna | Melbourne | Palm Beach | Ft. Lauderdale

Miami: Key Biscayne | Coconut Grove

Art Basel, Miami, FL

Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

Wynwood Walls Art Installation, Miami

The Bass Museum of Art, South Beach, Miami

The Wolfsonian Collection / Art Museum, Florida International University (FIU)

AA Arena, Miami Heat Stadium

University of Miami

Frost Museum of Science, Miami, FL

Pérez Art Museum, Miami

Barnacle Historic State Park, Coconut Grove

Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach

Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter

University of Florida, Gainesville

Historic St. Augustine, FL

Savannah, Georgia Historical City Tour

Savannah College of Art and Design

Owens–Thomas House & Slave Quarters, Historic House Museum, Savannah, Georgia

College of Charleston , South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina Historical City Tour

Mount Vernon Plantation of George Washington, Mt. Vernon, Maryland

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC

WWII Memorial, Washington DC

Korean Memorial, Washington DC

Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington DC

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington DC

Ford’s Theatre, Washington, DC

Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space, Washington DC

White House | Supreme Court | Capitol Building

Washington Monument, Washington DC

Locations of Study 2018-2019

Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Museu Fundación Juan March (Museum of Modern Art) Palma, Mallorca

Soller/Porto de Soller

Valdemossa/Porto de Valdemossa

Es Baluard: Museum of Contemporary Art, Palma, Mallorca

Cala Falcó Cliff Climbing (by boat), Mallorca

Porto Portals and Porta Cala

Valencia, Spain

Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de) Valencia

El Miguelette (Tower of Migulette)

The Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM)

International House of Valencia: espanolé (Language School 1)

Hispania-Valencia (Language School 2)

Mercado Colon and Mercado Central

Serrano Towers

el Carmen Art District

Museu de Belles Arts de Valencia

Universitat Politècnica de Valencia

Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències

Oceanográfico Valencia (private marine biology tour)

Newport, Rhode Island

Herreshoff Museum, Bristol, RI

Cape Cod, MA

Florida: Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Vero Beach, Jupiter, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami

Busey Farm, Jacksonville, Fl

(Crossed Gulf Stream 2x)

Abacos, Bahamas

Elbow Cay, Grand Bahama

Little Harbor | Man-o-War Cay | Scotland Cay

Hope Town | Green Turtle Island | Marsh Harbor

Guana Cay | Great Sale

Treasure Cay | White Sands Cay | Allen’s Pensacola

Locations of Study 2017-2018

University of Rhode Island, 2017 fall Honors Colloquium: Jane Goodall, speaker

Black Heritage Trail, Boston, MA

Boston Common & Public Gardens, Boston, MA

Museum of African American History, Boston, MA

INTREPID: Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York City

2017 Food Film Festival, NY, NY

New York Public Library and Bryant Park

Times Square, New York City

“About Jane”, Documentary (w/ newfound video footage of Jane Goodall), Newport RI

Adams Crypt, United First Parish Church, Quincy, MA

Adams National Historic Park, Quincy, MA

Cummer Museum of Art, Jacksonville, FL

Wynwood Walls – Urban Graffiti Art Exhbition, Miami

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Coconut Grove, Miami, FL

Frost Museum of Science, Miami, FL

Barnes Sound | Lignum Vitae State Park

Key West History Tour

Hemingway House and Museum

Florida Keys | Cape Sable, Gulf of Mexico | Naples, FL

Cayo Costa State Park, North Captiva

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, Ft. Meyers

Lake Okeechobee Locks

Playhouse Theatre, Coral Gables, FL

Marlins Park Tour (Miami Marlins Arena)

Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, University of Miami

University of Miami: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

Miami International Boat Show, Key Biscayne FL

Key Biscayne | Jupiter Island | Melbourne | St. Augustine

Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral (NASA)

Cubicle SpeedCube Competition, Daytona, FL

Busey Farm, Jacksonville, FL

Museum of Science and History, Jacksonville

Pruitt Softball Complex, Jacksonville University

Lifespan CPR and First Aid Certification Course, Newport Hospital, Newport, RI

Trinity Church (c 1698) tour, Newport, RI

Volvo Ocean Race Village/Team Vestas boat tour, Newport, RI

Fenway Park, Boston Massachusetts

Sail Newport Keelboat camp, Newport Harbor, Newport, RI

Locations of Study 2016-2017

San Francisco Maritime Museum and National Historical Park

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA

Angel Island State Park and Immigration Center, San Francisco

Cable Car Museum, San Francisco, CA

DeYoung Fine Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

SF MOMA (San Francisco Modern art Museum)

San Francisco ZOO, California

Alamo Square Park and Lombard Street + Gardens, San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Presidio, Chrissy Field)

The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco

AT&T Park (LA Dodgers vs SF Giants) South Beach, San Francisco, California

Golden Gate Bridge (walked across), San Francisco

Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, San Francisco, CA

Sierra Nevada Mountains, California/Nevada

Truckee, CA – Lake Tahoe, NV – Reno, NV – Fernley, NV

Tahoe Science Center, UC Davis/Environmental Research Center, NV

North Sails SuperYacht Finishing Facility & Sail Loft, Minden, NV

Yosemite National Park

Food Film Festival, New York City, NY

High Line (walked the length of) New York City, NY

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Ft. Lauderdale | Stuart | West Palm Beach Florida

NASA Launch viewing and Museum Tour: Kennedy Space Center-Cape Canaveral, Fl

Vero Beach | Melbourne | Daytona | St. Augustine | Jacksonville, Florida

North Palm Beach | Miami Florida

Wynwood Walls – Urban Graffiti Art Exhbition, Miami

Perez Art Museum Miami – PAMM

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, Ft. Pierce, FL

Elliott Key | Boca Chita Key | Marine Stadium, FL

JetBlue Park at Fenway South, Fort Myers, Florida (Red Sox vs Yankees, Spring Training)

Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, Florida (NY Mets vs Miami Marlins, Spring Training)

Mystic Seaport and Maritime Museum, Mystic, CT

Locations of Study 2015-2016

Centro Cultural de Cascais: Sam Shaw, Photography Exhibit. Cascais, Portugal

Art Collection of the Condes de Castro Guimarães. Cascais, Portugal

Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum. Cascais, Portugal

The Palacio Nacional da Pena, Sintra, Portugal

Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal

Alfarma District, Lisbon, Portugal

Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel) Evora, Portugal

Se Catedral de Evora, Portugal

Templo de Diana (Roman Temple) Evora, Portugal

Santa Maria de la Sede Cathedral, including the Minaret Tower, Seville Spain

Iglesia de San Marcos, Seville Spain

Parque Maria Luisa and Plaza de Espana, Seville Spain

Flamenco Shows, Seville Spain

Alcazar Palace, Seville Spain

Alhambra Palace of Granada, Spain

Albaycin of Granada, Spain

Volvo Ocean Race Headquarters, Alicante, Spain

L’Hemisfèric, Valencia, Spain

L’Umbracle — Walkway / Garden; Valencia, Spain

El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — Science museum Valencia, Spain

Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain

Mercado Colon and Serano Towers, Valencia, Spain

Aya Sofya (Haghia Sophia) Museum, Istanbul, Turkey (built in 537 AD)

Blue Mosque (Called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish), Istanbul, Turkey

Yerebatan Sarayi (Cistern Basilica), Istanbul, Turkey

Hippodrome of Constantinople or Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, Turkey

Boat Tour of the Bosphorus River, Turkey

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Modern (Museum of Modern Art) Istanbul, Turkey

Pera Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church, Istanbul

15th Century Kapalicarsi (Grand Bazaar) Istanbul

The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, Bodrum, Turkey

Bodrum Castle, Bodrum, Turkey

4-day cruise aboard OBELIX on the Aegean Sea, Bodrum/South Turkey

Asia: Walking tour and dinners, Asia (Istanbul/Asian side)

Newport, RI

Art Basel, Miami : Modern Art, Installation and Mural Show

Miami Mini-Makers Faire: Art, Engineering and Science

Ocean Reef Club | John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo, FL

Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Islamorada, FL

Turtle Hospital Tour and Hidden Harbor Marine Environment Project, Marathon, FL

Sombrero Reef Sanctuary Preservation (snorkeled on reef)

The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center & Natural History Museum

Florida Keys/NOAA National Marine Sanctuary

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, Key West

Butterfly and Nature Conservatory,, Key West, FL

Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, Key West, FL

The Harry S. Truman Little White House, Key West

CityView History Tour

Jet Blue Park/Fenway South, Ft. Meyers, FL

Abacos, Bahamas: Great Sale Cay, Spanish Cay, Guana Cay, Great Turtle Cay, Sandy Cay, Little Harbour, Tilloo Cay, Sugarloaves, Marsh Harbor, Elbow Cay, Hopetown, Man-O-War Cay, Mermaid Reef, Matt Lowe Cay.