Innovation in Education

On October 25th 2019, some thirty 16-year-olds set off across the Atlantic Ocean aboard a tall ship, bound for the Caribbean — sailing, studying, and cooking their own meals along the way. Pigment supported one of these young adventurers in raising the funding to make it happen.

The vision

School at Sea is a talent development and leadership programme that invites young people to work from a place of creativity and responsibility — building genuine collaboration and inspiring themselves and those around them. What makes it powerful is the combination of experiential learning with the standard school curriculum. Alongside applying theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts, students learn to sail and take part in expeditions at every port of call.

About School at Sea

School at Sea gives students the chance to discover — the sea, life on board a sailing vessel, new countries and their people, and ultimately themselves and those they travel with. The programme’s goal is to contribute to each student’s personal development: to help them grow into a self-aware individual who meets the world with more life experience, confidence, and trust in themselves.

“We look for coaches who love helping teenagers realise one of their dreams — and who give them tools they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.”

Elisa’s story

Pigment supported one of these young participants — Elisa Breger — in securing the funding for her voyage. Despite her age, over the past year Elisa wrote and distributed a press release, cold-called companies to ask for sponsorship, pitched her project dozens of times, built her own website, organised fundraising events, led a team to co-ordinate activities, and gave presentations. All of this on top of schoolwork, a student job, and her hobbies.