Marlow Navigation, in cooperation with Inter Manager and Face of Shipping, has launched the Adopt-A-Ship Program with elementary schools in the Philippines, connecting children with vessels under Marlow Full Shipmanagement – “Connecting our World”.
Through this communication, children build a relationship with the vessel and learn about shipping, such as life on-board, daily duties and activities of the crew, cargo normally carried, ports being called, trading patterns, and other information the children might request. At the same time, also learning about the world, including geography, science, marine life and protection of the marine environment.
The first phase of the Adopt-a-Ship program in the Philippines began in early September and ran through to November. In total, around 50 classes and 2,000 students from a variety of schools will participate in this program with Marlow over the next few months. For the moment, the programme is concentrated on grade six students, since they already have strong foundations with Geography subjects and being older would likely inspire a deeper interest.
“All the schools are very happy and excited to start this program, kids and teachers alike,” said Chief Executive Officer - Administration, Marlow Navigation Phils., Inc., Tony Galvez. “Shipping is one of the corner stones of the Philippine’s economy, creating jobs and improving the standards of our communities. Connecting our kids to this world is a great thing, as it helps them better learn and appreciate its value,” he added.
The program involves assigning a particular vessel to each classroom. Children, with the assistance of their teacher, communicate with the vessel’s crew on a weekly basis, normally the Master or Senior Officer, asking questions and learning about shipping, then conducting interactive classroom activities, such as following the ship’s voyages on a world map, creating pretend passports, international hand craft, learning about the climate, cultural etiquettes, languages and marine life.
“This is an excellent initiative that helps raise awareness about shipping and provides school children with a real world learning experience. At the same time, it promotes the industry and encourages younger generations to consider shipping as an area of future profession,” stated General Manager, Marlow Navigation, Captain Alfred von der Hoeh. “The programme is already proving to be a huge success, with dynamic communication between the classrooms and vessels, and great interest, effort and enthusiasm shown by both the children and the crew,” he added.
This Adopt-a-Ship campaign was first initiated in 2006 by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) and Cyprus Maritime Environment Protection Association (CYMEPA) to help highlight the positive side and benefits of shipping and its huge contribution to the local society. It has now become a global initiative, with tens of thousands of students in various countries benefiting from the educational experience.
