Ocean Classroom

Growing up in Toms River, N.J., John Petrillo never liked school.  “History was the only subject that I did homework for,” he said.  But he loved to sail.  “In high school I thought, ‘There must be something wrong with me.’  I went to college anyway.”  For his final semester at Carnegie Mellon, John applied to study at the Sea Education Association. (SEA.org)  He studied marine sciences, history and literature; physical oceanography; and maritime ways of life.  It was the first time he could remember connecting with his subject matter.   Along with 23 other students, John lived for 6 weeks in Woodshole, Mass., then 6 weeks aboard a 200 ton, 135 foot sailing vessel.  Also living aboard were 4 faculty, a professional crew of 13 and one cook.  “It’s then that I finally liked school,” John said, “I became enamored with studying.

While living aboard, John learned celestial navigation, how to clean and operate the vessel, what it meant to ‘stand watch’ and how to get along with strangers in very small living quarters.  “It felt nice to actually be interested in what I was learning.”

After college John worked at the Maritime Museum in San Diego, The New Bedford Whaling Museum, Mystic Seaport, and as crew on a tall ship—13 sails in all.  He earned his Masters in American Civilization at Brown where he studied Caribbean and Polynesian history and literature, whaling lore, whaling ship logs and scrimshaw art.  He can even discern fakes.  Then his dream came to fruition.  He landed a position as head educator and humanities professor for high school and college students with Ocean Classroom Foundation. (oceanclassroom.org)

For 8 years, John taught history and literature at sea to high school and college students.  For 4 months each semester, the ship sailed 6,500 nautical miles and spent about 40% of her time in port.  Once there, students would visit Botanical gardens or learn marine biology via snorkeling, etc.  “They had no TV, phones, computers or running water.  Showers were buckets thrown over the side, hauled up and dumped over us.  There was a GPS on board, but only for emergencies; all navigation was made by students using a sextant.”  The ship might be at sea for up to 17 days, in which case students would read, do homework, write papers by hand—or stand watch, which included 4 hours shifts at the helm, on bow lookout, boat checks and kitchen duty.  “Smoking and drinking was forbidden, zero tolerance; exclusive relationships were curtailed.” I said, “That must have been challenging.”  John said, “I learned a lot at reunions,” and smiled.

Now John is getting his PhD in Learning Sciences at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education.  “I'm studying how kids learn in informal out-of school contexts--experiential and outdoor learning.  I want to open a school that creates deeper learning and understanding through hands-on approaches using Barnegat Bay as the curriculum’s focus.” 

So much for the kid who never liked school.  

John Petrillo has a Masters License to captain a vessel up to 100 tons.  For photos and to read student and faculty diaries, visit oceanclassroom.blogspot.com.