Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont, will implement its boat-building and rowing program in this rural community. The museum will partner with schools, students, and teachers in to connect students and adults with the rich tradition of boat building in the Champlain Valley while building teamwork, self-confidence, and a sense of community. The museum will host 24 students several days a week (two student groups will spend 3 hours a day) at its boat shop to build a historical replica of an 18th century whaleboat. In the spring, an after-school rowing program will utilize the boats to engage students of all experience levels in a series of races. In the summer and early fall, the museum also will sponsor an adult rowing program. This program will support the region’s COVID-19 recovery efforts by creating shared opportunities to connect with each other, the environment, and the community through boat building and rowing.