Indigenous youth set sail for adventure — and education — off Newfoundland's south coast

Twenty young people are voyaging from Stephenville to Conne River for a week of educational experiences.

They're aboard the Polar Prince, which left the west coast of Newfoundland on Monday.

"I am such a history buff, and I genuinely love the natural world around me. I thought this would be an amazing experience to meet people like me, and experience the boat," said Kippens, N.L. resident Sarah Doucette.

Doucette said she learned about the voyage from a social media post, and couldn't wait to get on board. 

"Just learning about the science behind everything, and just being on the ship itself is really cool," she said.

Ken Paul helped coordinate the expedition. He said there are youth on board from as far away as Nunavut, and closer to home from Miawpukek First Nation and Qalipu First Nation.

WATCH | Indigenous youth prepare to set sail from Stephenville: 

Indigenous youth set sail for adventure — and education — off Newfoundland’s south coast

3 days ago

Duration 2:46

Indigenous youth from across Canada are voyaging along the south coast of Newfoundland aboard the Polar Prince this week. The marine voyage is all about adventure and education. The CBC's Colleen Connors was there when they prepared to leave Stephenville.

The students will learn about the operations on board the Polar Prince, and work with the crew. They will also take part in scientific teaching methods with scientists from the Marine Institute.

"Some of the things we are going to be doing are sending down drop cameras to be looking at shipwrecks that we know are mapped by sonar, but they don't have images of them," explained Paul.

Capt. Dominic Tremblay helped hoist 90 metres of black chain aboard the vessel before leaving Stephenville. The chain is connected to a large smart buoy that will be deployed off the coast of Conne River.

Tremblay said the youth will be involved with the deployment of the buoy, which is used as a monitoring tool to collect data on currents and wave heights to predict upcoming fishing seasons.

"I am enjoying it every single minute, every single moment," said Nunavut resident Kym Morgan. 

Meanwhile, Paul said he hopes the experience sparks interest in possible future careers for the young people.

"We know that some of the students are already considering their course selection for university and college, and I'm quite confident that a percentage of them will choose a career that involves going to sea."

After the smart buoy is deployed, the Polar Prince will dock in Conne River, where the youth will spend the day engaging in cultural activities.

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