Living Classrooms Foundation’s flagship and first “living classroom,” the pungy schooner Lady Maryland, was built by 100 students and shipwrights in 1986 as a hands-on educational project. She has since then served to connect thousands of inner-city students to the history, economics, and natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding ecosystems. This winter, Lady Maryland is replacing her original deck in order to serve future generations of students. You can help!
Since her construction, Lady Maryland has sailed with over 160,000 youth from throughout the State of Maryland, the country, and internationally. Each season, from April through November, she introduces students to the ecological, cultural and economic importance of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as she runs educational and sail-training programs. While on board the ship, students become crew and scientists for the voyage, steering, navigating, handling sails and conducting scientific sampling of water and marine life. The ship and the hands-on nature of her lessons are the basis of the program’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. Lady Maryland serves about 5,000 students each year with multi-disciplinary, hands-on history, environmental, STEM education.
After 32 sailing seasons, Lady Maryland's deck has worn out. Throughout the winter of 2018, our crew is undertaking the extensive project of replacing the deck, in addition to repairs to her stern and foremast, in preparation of her 33rd season, beginning in April. Please consider a donation to these costly repairs so that Lady Maryland is ready to serve more students with this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Her History:
Lady Maryland is a Chesapeake Bay pungy schooner, a type of boat which sailed the Bay in the 1800s through the 1950s. She is the only pungy in existence today. Pungies, which were considered fast sailing vessels in the 1800s, were primarily used as workboats which carried perishable cargo such as oysters, watermelons, tomatoes, fish, peaches, and grain. Today, Lady Maryland carries students and is a part of Living Classrooms Foundation's educational fleet. She is a valued asset to schools, the community, and the environment as the Chesapeake Bay’s premiere educational and sail-training tall ship.
