This shortage of potential candidates for jobs in the maritime industries in the Seattle area, motivated local industry leaders to form a partnership with Seattle Public School District and the Ballard High School to establish the Ballard Maritime Academy, a career academy within the high school whose curriculum organizes instruction in academic subjects around maritime industry and marine science. The high school in the Ballard community of Seattle was chosen for the first maritime academy because of community’s long tradition in fishing, marine transportation, and shipbuilding. This partnership has the support and funding from the maritime industries through the Youth Maritime Training Association, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors for students to the maritime world, and from the Ballard Alumni Foundation, advice and experience of CASN-Career Academy Support Network staff from the Graduate School of Education at University of California Berkeley, assistance and services of the Alliance for Education which is a non-profit affiliate organization of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and of the District’s Department of School-to-Work Program which leads the District’s initiative to establish and sustain career academies. With the full support of Ballard’s Principal, the Ballard Maritime Academy opened its doors in the 2001-2002 school year with 26 freshman students and 3 highly motivated teachers. Starting in 2003-04 school year maritime academy will become a three-year program starting with the sophomore class. Eventually the Academy will have an enrollment of 150 students. The Academy’s curriculum will integrate a maritime perspective for English, science, history, and career survey classes. In the junior year students will be assigned mentors with careers in industry or marine science. In the summer before their senior year students will be placed in paid internships provided by industry partners, universities, and government agencies. Upon graduation students from the Academy will be prepared to secure jobs in the maritime industries or continue their education at technical and vocational schools, universities, or maritime academies.

The concept of high school maritime academies like the Ballard Maritime Academy provides an unique avenue to improve the awareness of our nation’s marine transportation system, to promote our maritime heritage, and to encourage our nation’s youth to seek careers in marine industries and sciences. As part of its outreach program and role in the National Marine Transportation System Initiative, NOAA has formed a partnership with the Seattle Public Schools’ Ballard Maritime Academy to assist the local partnership of the maritime community and educators to provide the opportunity for our youth to pursue interesting careers in marine science and maritime industries. Through this partnership NOAA provides funding for the purchase of teaching materials including supplies, tools and equipment for the Academy’s maritime/marine science classrooms, for transportation costs for field trips, and for partial FTE support for curriculum planning for the Academy. In the future NOAA’s goal is to have the BMA produce videos and literature to promote BMA as a model for attracting our Nation’s youth to careers in maritime industries and marine science for the use of other school districts. Under this partnership, NOAA also encourages our scientists to participate in BMA activities such as guest lectures, field trips to NOAA facilities, mentorships and internships. For the past two years, NOAA has sponsored the travel for 5 students and 2 teachers from BMA in May to our Nation’s Capitol to meet with national leaders in marine transportation, industries, agencies, and educational institutions to broaden the student’s knowledge and perspective of maritime opportunities.