It's A Match-A-Thon: Ocean Institute Fans Keep Things Afloat

DANA POINT, CA — So much changed in 2020, and the Ocean Institute was not unscathed by the global pandemic. Still, thanks to the donations of friends and fans, the non-profit has met its financial goals.

The Ocean Institute is an ocean education organization, originally founded as the Orange County Marine Institute in 1977. It offers marine science and maritime history programs for K-12 students. During the coronavirus shutdown, the hands-on institute went virtual, a favorite ship sank in the harbor, and docents and staff learned a whole new way to engage school children who have grown up learning about their world from the shores of Dana Point.

The Ocean Institute is nationally recognized for award-winning, hands-on marine science, environmental education, and maritime history programs. "Students, families, and the general public become tall ship sailors, research scientists, oceanographers, and explorers while immersed in the Ocean Institute programs," a spokesperson says. Still, those opportunities were in jeopardy during the pandemic. The Pilgrim sank, disrupting the familiar outline of the institute. The Tall Ships celebration, the largest fundraiser of the year, went virtual, and things were "scary and uncertain," a spokesperson for the institute wrote online.

Though a matching donations program helped keep things afloat, there are many things still needed at the institute.

Fundraisers, such as a naming opportunity for the At-Sea Acquisition and Acclimation Lab. The tall ship, the Spirit of Dana Point, needs a new deck, which will then be named after a $1 million sponsor.

"The Spirit of Dana Point is a truly unique teaching platform where students experience authentic life at sea as it has been for hundreds of years," a spokesperson writes. "The sponsor will be recognized with a plaque on the 'King Plank' and signage on the Maritime Wharf, seen by thousands along the harbor's public walkway."

As they look for life to return to normal, the Ocean Institute remains at the mercy of those who would help the organization into calmer seas for future generations.

"We are navigating unprecedented times as a result of the coronavirus," they wrote. "The Ocean Institute has been hit hard as school restrictions have caused a complete wipeout of our programs during our highest revenue-generating season, which is the fuel that propels us through the rest of the year."

For more information, visit www.oceaninstitute.org.

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Ocean Institute Says Farewell To Pilgrim

Ocean Institute's Educational Ship Sinks At Dana Point Harbor