Sound Experience Youth Programs

Sound Experience Youth Programs includes Fantastic Voyage, Girls at the Helm, and the Outdoor Schools Program. The activities on Adventuress include sailing, science, teamwork, stewardship, climbing aloft, raising the sails, taking the helm, and learning navigation.

Programs

• Fantastic Voyage — grades 7-12 · Overnight, 4 days/3 nights
• Girls at the Helm — grades 7-12 · 4-day Overnight and Mentor Day Sail
• Outdoor Schools Program

At a glance

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Current session: Member Expedition (Sep 4–Sep 7, 2026); Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (Sep 11–Sep 13, 2026); Party for Adventuress (Oct 3–Oct 3, 2026)

About the provider

Sound Experience says it is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) based in Washington State, USA. It says its mission is to foster environmental sustainability, youth development, and maritime careers through shipboard programs aboard the schooner Adventuress, and to educate, inspire, and empower an inclusive community for the future of the marine environment. Outdoor Schools Washington issued the Seal of Assurance for the satisfactory completion of the Washington State Safety & Management Review, and Adventuress is a National Historic Landmark sailing ship.

• Member Expedition — Adults, families, youth over 8 with adult · 4-day, 3-night overnight expedition · $495–$580 · Children over 8 are welcome when accompanied by an adult.

All youth programs are subsidized. Full and partial scholarships are available for some teen programs and youth scholarships are available on a limited basis. Girls at the Helm is offered to a maximum of 20 participants, with 10 full scholarships available. Fantastic Voyage is offered to a maximum of 20 participants. Ship's Apprentice is for teenagers ages 15 to 17 who have previously sailed aboard Adventuress on an overnight program.

What families say

“Kids learn through experience. Some of the most vivid and meaningful learning happens outside of the classroom… There aren’t many places on Earth that have a resource as powerful as Adventuress. I am truly grateful that my students can have this opportunity.” — Ron W., 5th grade teacher at Discovery Elementary

“It’s a very unique opportunity for young people to get away from an urban environment and really live with a group of people working on the water. Partly it has to do with the historic nature of the ship and partly it has to do with a deep love for Puget Sound. Who wouldn’t want that for their kids?” — Marianne W., mother of a participant on Girls at the Helm

“Girls at the Helm presented me with all of the options that I had in life and showed me successful women mentors—women doing what they want to do... It was those experiences that gave me a direction in life. I’ve been doing ocean research ever since.” — Amelia F., Girls at the Helm

Last updated August 18, 2026.