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Educational Programs and Overnights aboard Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum
“It’s a Sailor’s Life!” - Overnight Program for young people aboard Elissa
Standing on the deck of Elissa, you have a clear view back to the days when salt spray and tall ships were second nature to "square-riggers." In a special overnight adventure, those days come to life again for young people who live "A Sailor's Life."
After a tour of Elissa and a special presentation of the wide screen presentation Elissa, The Longest Voyage, the overnight crew learns by doing—they help set one of Elissa's huge staysails, and they work with the ship's volunteer crew to master seagoing knots and ropecraft.
Overnight, participants follow one of the oldest traditions of the sea—keeping watch over Elissa and the Galveston Harbor. Reflected in the nighttime harbor, young imaginations can envision the days when barques and brigs and full-rigged ships brought to Galveston the makings of the young and growing Texas—and took to the world Texas cotton, and lumber, and grain. In the early hours of the morning, the wind in Elissa's rigging sings young sailors a song of distant shores and times long since past.
Adventure is assured, but "It's a Sailor's Life" is strongly based in education as well. Teamwork, self-reliance, discipline, and hard work were the staples of life at sea, and each is represented in the curriculum. History, science, and ecology are themes shown by exhibits and on-site activities. Contact us for available dates and for information about scheduling this program for your group.
View a Sample Schedule • Take a "Quick Look" at Pricing & Requirements
Traveling Sea Chest Program - Bring a Sea Adventure to your Classroom!
Texas Seaport Museum is pleased to offer a series of traveling sea chests created to enhance learning in your classroom. This program has been designed in accordance with current TAKS guidelines. A Texas Seaport Museum presenter will visit your classroom with a handmade wooden sea chest filled with objects and activities to capture the imagination of all participants.
- Learn about the arts of the sailors what they did to help pass the long hours "off watch."
- The importance the Port of Galveston played in developing different types of industries in the area.
- Hands-on activities teach the students the ways sailors communicated before there were radios or satellites.
- Discover the navigational tools used by explorers throughout the ages and how they compare to current-day technology.
A brief look at what life was like at sea for both crew and passengers.
Contact us to support your TAKS learning objectives in a creative format.
Youth Sail Training Program
Texas Seaport Museum offers an award-winning youth sail training program that will culminate in a daysail in March. Students begin their training in September and continue through March. Saturday meetings are generally scheduled on an every-other-week basis. The Saturday schedule includes working on the ship from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. about every other Saturday. Participants should bring a sack lunch.
Students not only learn the basic skills needed to sail as junior crew members aboard Elissa, but also receive instruction in folklore and customs of the sea, maritime history, and seamanship skills. Each student is paired with an experienced Elissa volunteer crew member, who also acts as their mentor on the daysail. The goals of the program are to:
 Build self esteem and learn to work as part of a team.
- Improve academic achievement and school attendance.
- Provide positive alternative activities for students.
- Promote personal and social development.
- Develop skills with which students can better function in society.
Current Training Dates are:
| Class Schedule 2010-2011 |
| Orientation |
August 7, 2010 |
(9 to Noon) |
| Class I |
September 18, 2010 |
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| Class II |
October 2, 2010 |
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| Class III |
October 9, 2010 |
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| Class IV |
October 23, 2010 |
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| Class V |
November 13, 2010 |
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| Dickens |
December 4, 2010 |
Bake Sale |
| Class VI |
December 11, 2010 |
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| Class VII |
January 15, 2011 |
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| Class VIII |
January 29, 2011 |
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| Class IX |
February 5, 2011 |
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| Class X* |
February 12, 2011 |
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| Class XI* |
February 19, 2011 |
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| Class XII* |
February 26, 2011 |
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| Class XIII* |
March 5, 2011 |
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| Class XIV* |
March 12, 2011 |
Graduation |
*The Youth will be assigned mentors from the adult crew for these classes.
Classes will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Graduation will have a late dismissal, approximately 6 p.m.
The Dickens bake sale is voluntary, all other classes are required. Crewmembers must attend at least 11 required classes to be invited to sail in March.
Sail date is most likely to be on a weekday in March, 2011. Letters will be available to explain the day to school administrators. Youth Crew will spend the night before sailing at the museum.
A parents meeting will be held on August 7th as part of Orientation. Parents should attend this meeting to learn what to expect from the program and to have the opportunity to have questions answered.
Speakers Bureau
Volunteers assist with informing the public through a speaking program, sharing information about exhibits and Elissa with a variety of groups and organizations.
Collections and Exhibits
The Texas Seaport Museum is legally responsible for the objects in its care. This often requires the assistance of volunteers in researching objects currently on exhibit or that are under consideration for acquisition. Volunteers are also needed to help with documenting and cataloging the collection, and working to preserve and/or repair objects according to professional museum guidelines. Collections volunteers receive specialized training and at times assist with the planning and installation of exhibits.
Docent Program
Volunteers who work with visitors perform an especially important role. By giving tours of the exhibits and Elissa, Texas Seaport Museum i s able to provide far more information than could ever be conveyed through static exhibits.
Seamanship & Arts of the Sailor Demonstrations
Texas Seaport Museum interpretive volunteers demonstrate "living history", in which visitors experience the seafaring legacy of Texas and the Gulf Coast firsthand. These activities range from exhibiting proficiency at knots or "fancywork", or as Elissa crew, by demonstrating sail handling skills.
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