A Year of Ocean Literacy, Miniboat Records, and Global Connection.
As we enter 2026, we’re reflecting on the past year that was defined by curiosity, creativity, and connection. 2025 captured the essence of Educational Passages: student-driven exploration, meaningful data, and global ocean connection. From celebrating milestones in ocean literacy to record-setting voyages and international collaboration, these moments stood out as our Top 5 of 2025.
1. Celebrating 20 Years of Ocean Literacy
2025 marked the 20th anniversary of Ocean Literacy, a milestone central to Educational Passages’ mission—helping learners understand the ocean’s influence on them, and their influence on the ocean.
Throughout the year, we joined educators and partners at gatherings around the world celebrating two decades of progress in marine education. At the International Pacific Marine Educators Network (IPMEN) Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Cassie shared our miniboat work as a model for discovery, connection, and collaboration, and joined colleagues in signing the Takao Declaration, reaffirming a global commitment to advancing ocean literacy.
That momentum continued during the summer at the 2025 NMEA Annual Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana, where collaborative workshops and discussions on ocean and climate education highlighted the strength and diversity of the ocean literacy community. Daryn also presented about the importance of our miniboat program in engaging students in hands-on STEM education.
In the fall, we gathered at the 2025 New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative (NEOSEC) Ocean Literacy Summit in Freeport, Maine. As an endorsed activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), the summit reinforced the power of partnership, student voice, and shared purpose in turning small actions into meaningful impact.
Together, these moments underscored not only how far the ocean literacy movement has come—but how much potential remains for learners and communities worldwide.
Read more in these featured blog posts:
👉https://educationalpassages.org/a-voyage-to-taiwan/
👉https://educationalpassages.org/nmea2025/
👉https://www.neosec.org/
2. New Miniboat Distance Record
A really exciting achievement of the year was a record-breaking miniboat voyage, setting the longest linear-distance ever recorded! M/B Yaquina Neversink made history, completing a remarkable journey across the Pacific in 240 days and 16,295 kilometers. Launched by students in Lincoln County Oregon School District- in partnership with Oregon Coast STEM Hub, and built to endure, Neversink has demonstrated both the durability of its design and the powerful role of ocean currents in shaping its path.
What began as a summer project evolved into a record-setting expedition—and a lasting example of how student-led exploration can contribute to real-world ocean understanding.
Not to mention, where she landed marked our 36th country connected by landings: Palau!
Read more in this featured blog post:
👉https://educationalpassages.org/the-m-b-yaquina-neversinks-record-breaking-voyage-across-the-pacific/
3. Successful Rescue of Northernmost Miniboat to Date
In 2025, collaboration and determination paid off with the successful recovery of our northernmost miniboat to date: M/B Crimson Current.
After months of sailing through cold, challenging waters of the Arctic, the Crimson Current landed in a remote area of Norway. It took until July 2025 to be finally located and recovered thanks to persistence, coordination, and a boat load of local support. This rescue highlighted the unpredictable nature of the ocean and the strength of the global community supporting these student-led projects.
Following its recovery, Crimson Current became more than a tracked vessel—it became a connector. This miniboat linked students across three countries— the United States, Ireland, and Norway—through shared data analysis, story-sharing and reflection on its journey via ZOOM. These connections extended the learning well beyond launch and recovery, reinforcing how miniboats continue to build relationships and understanding long after they leave the classroom.
The recovery transformed a long-tracked voyage into a tangible classroom artifact and a lasting symbol of international collaboration. It was a powerful reminder that miniboats are not only tools for learning, but catalysts for connection long after launch.
Read more in these featured blog posts:
👉https://educationalpassages.org/crimson-current-is-finally-recovered/
👉https://educationalpassages.org/connectedbythecurrent/
4. Miniboats Measuring Up in the Outer Banks
The Outer Banks provide a dynamic environment to observe how miniboats, such as the M/B Chargers by the Sea, perform in energetic coastal waters— and to compare them to the sportfish and megafauna that call these waters home is an added learning bonus. Strong currents, shifting shorelines, and changing weather conditions created powerful learning moments around coastal processes and design resilience all year.
By comparing miniboat movement to species like tuna, marlin, and other highly migratory fish, students and the local community explored how both engineered vessels and living organisms navigate similar forces using very different strategies. These comparisons sparked discussions about streamlining, endurance, navigation, and adaptation—highlighting both the limitations and strengths of human design when measured against nature.
These experiences deepened student understanding of how miniboats respond to real-world ocean conditions while strengthening connections between classrooms, fisheries science, and coastal communities.
Read more in these featured blog posts:
👉 https://educationalpassages.org/tunavs-miniboat/
👉 https://educationalpassages.org/bigrock/
5. The Powerful Partnerships in Portugal
International collaboration took center stage in 2025, with Portugal playing a key role in miniboat recoveries, repairs, outreach, and shared learning. These moments reinforced how exploration and education transcend borders.
M/B Raven KASTER’s cargo hold reveal, as well as Linaro’s Connect Conference in May 2025, exemplified the power of global partnership—showing students that their projects are part of a much larger, interconnected world. As teachers attended the conference (thanks to Linaro), they were able to share their learning, the impact the project had on their students, and got to learn more about the technological components of our sensor pack system.
These moments reinforced how miniboats act as ambassadors of student learning, linking classrooms around the Atlantic and showing students that their projects are part of a truly global story. Portugal’s involvement remains a powerful example of how ocean currents—and people—connect us all.
Read more in this featured blog post:
👉https://educationalpassages.org/mini-barcos-a-vela-levam-portugal-ao-mundo/
Looking Ahead
Each of these moments reflect the curiosity, collaboration, and creativity of our students, educators, and partners. As we head into 2026, we’re inspired by what’s possible when learning meets the open ocean.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
—The Educational Passages Team💙
