Educational Passages
Educational Passages connects students globally through its Miniboat Program, promoting hands-on learning and ocean exploration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNorthwood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Educational Passages does
Educational Passages offers an educational program that combines science and exploration through its Miniboat Program. This initiative allows participants to engage in hands-on learning by building and launching small, unmanned boats that travel across the ocean. The program aims to connect students globally, fostering collaborative learning and a deeper understanding of ocean currents and marine science.
Educational Passages firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Educational Passages
- Legal name
- Educational Passages
- Website
- https://educationalpassages.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Educational Passages connects students globally through its Miniboat Program, promoting hands-on learning and ocean exploration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Educational Passages industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ocean STEM Education Programs
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)
Keywords
Where Educational Passages is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Educational Passages business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501c3 non-profit organization, Educational Passages relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund operations, miniboat program materials, and global partner coordination.
- Sponsorship Programs: Corporate and organizational sponsors fund specific miniboats, schools, or events. Examples include Devereux Ocean Foundation funding the GSO Miniboat program and FLAD (Fundação Luso-Americana) sponsoring specific relaunches.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Educational Passages product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Educational Passages runs the Miniboat Program, in which K-12 students construct 1.5-meter unmanned sailboats fitted with GPS and sensor packs, launch them into the ocean, and track their trans-oceanic voyages while collecting ocean science data. Supporting products include the Path Analysis Tool for voyage analytics, real-time Miniboat Maps, and the annual Recycle Regatta competition, all delivered as a free, donation-funded non-profit program connecting classrooms globally.
Product overview
Educational Passages operates the Miniboat Program as its primary offering, where students build 1.5-meter unmanned sailboats equipped with GPS and sensor packs to track ocean currents across the world. The program is supported by the Path Analysis Tool (PAT) for visualizing voyage data with environmental overlays, Sensor Pack Technology for collecting ocean science data (temperature, orientation, location), and the Miniboats Maps for real-time tracking. Additional offerings include the annual Recycle Regatta competition, a Podcast for sharing voyage stories, and the Domain of the Golden Dragon tradition celebrating Pacific crossings. The organization connects classrooms globally through these hands-on ocean science experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Miniboat Program Educational program in which K-12 students build 1.5-meter unmanned sailboats, launch them into oceans, and track their journeys across thousands of miles while collecting GPS and sensor data. Provides ocean science, engineering, geography, and international collaboration learning through hands-on boat construction and real-world data analysis; offered free to participating schools.
- Path Analysis Tool (PAT)
Quantifiable outcome
- 507 creative boats built through Recycle Regatta program alone
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Educational Passages
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Educational Passages technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Educational Passages partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.
- Oregon Coast STEM HubcoreRegional STEM education hub coordinating miniboat programs for multiple schools in Oregon. Supports boat builds, provides training and materials, arranges launches with maritime partners, and facilitates student connections. Manages a fleet of 10+ miniboats including Yaquina Neversink, Hesperia, Sloughinator, Panda Express, and others.
- RPS Ocean Science TeamcoreDevelops and maintains the Path Analysis Tool (PAT), an interactive web-based mapping platform that displays miniboat and drifter tracks with overlays of winds, waves, currents, and temperature data.
- Linaro / ArmkeyLinaro Connect 2025 showcased Educational Passages' use of Arm Cortex M0 processors in miniboat sensor packs for ocean data collection. Arm technologies power 70% of the world's population and 99% of smartphones, demonstrating the scalability of EP's IoT approach.
- Institute for Systems and Robotics, Tecnico LisboakeyTechnical support partner helping with GPS transmitter preparation and technical development of the project. Coordinated double miniboat launch off Madeira in February 2025.
- New England Sailing and Science (NESS)coreAnnual co-host of the Recycle Regatta, a flagship event where students build model sailboats from recycled materials and test them on water.
- North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA)coreAnnual co-host of the Recycle Regatta, promoting marine conservation and environmental awareness through student engagement.
- Sause Bros.coreMaritime shipping company whose vessels (including S/V Kokua and tug Natoma) deploy miniboats from commercial ships, enabling Pacific launches from Oregon coast to Hawaii and beyond.
- UnCruise AdventureskeyAdventure cruise company whose vessel Safari Explorer launched M/B Panda Express in November 2025, deploying boats to remote Pacific locations.
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of OceanographycoreAcademic partner operating GSO Miniboat Program with Central Falls School District. Launches boats from R/V Endeavor and provides graduate student involvement in ocean science education.
- Columbia River Maritime MuseumcoreMuseum-based education partner managing Oregon miniboat program. Nate Sandel serves as Education Director and Miniboat Program Manager, coordinating launches, recoveries, and classroom connections.
- International Pacific Marine Educators Network (IPMEN)keyGlobal network of marine educators. At the 2025 IPMEN Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Cassie presented miniboat work and signed the Takao Declaration reaffirming commitment to ocean literacy.
- National Marine Educators Association (NMEA)keyU.S. marine education network. Daryn presented at the 2025 NMEA Annual Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana, highlighting miniboat program engagement in STEM education.
- New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative (NEOSEC)keyRegional ocean literacy network. Educational Passages participated in the 2025 NEOSEC Ocean Literacy Summit in Freeport, Maine, an endorsed activity of the UN Decade of Ocean Science.
- Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI)keyFederal ocean research infrastructure. Highlighted M/B Hesperia deployment from R/V Atlantis during OOI RCA Cruise, showcasing integration of miniboats with professional ocean observation.
- Marine Institute (Ireland)keyIrish marine research organization that helped with Raven KASTER recovery and relaunch planning, supporting Ireland-based miniboat operations and school connections.
- Explorers Education Program (Ireland)keyIrish marine education initiative expanding ocean awareness. Helps connect miniboat projects with Irish schools and communities, including Raven KASTER and Crimson Current programs.
- NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreU.S. ocean agency whose research vessels (R/V Sally Ride, R/V Atlantis) have deployed miniboats, enabling remote ocean launches for educational tracking missions.
- Oregon State University / Hatfield Marine Science CenterkeyUniversity marine research facility involved in miniboat recoveries and displaying boats alongside research vessels, supporting Oregon Coast STEM Hub activities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Educational Passages competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sea Education Association: SEA operates semester-long shipboard educational voyages for high school and college students, directly comparable to Educational Passages' use of ocean voyages for K-12 learning. Both organizations connect classrooms to the sea through hands-on marine science programming.
- MATE Center (Marine Advanced Technology Education): MATE provides K-12 and undergraduate marine technology education through ROV competitions and underwater robotics programs, with overlapping STEM-marine pedagogy and teacher/student engagement models.
- JASON Learning: JASON Learning delivers STEM curricula for K-12 classrooms with partners including NOAA and National Geographic. Its shipboard and ocean-themed learning modules compete for the same K-12 ocean-literacy funding as Educational Passages.
Emerging players
- SailBot International Robotic Sailing Regatta: SailBot is a student competition to design and race autonomous sailboats, combining sailing, robotics, and embedded sensing — the same triad that powers Educational Passages' miniboat program.
Broad incumbents
- Ocean Exploration Trust: OET runs the E/V Nautilus shipboard ocean exploration program with live-streamed STEM education to classrooms. It competes for the same federal and foundation ocean-literacy funding, but at significantly larger scale and budget.
- Schmidt Ocean Institute: Schmidt Ocean Institute funds and operates research vessel expeditions with live-streamed K-12 educational programming, targeting the same donors (ocean foundations, marine science philanthropists) that Educational Passages courts.
- National Marine Educators Association (NMEA): NMEA is a member society of marine educators that runs conferences, publications, and grants for ocean literacy. Educational Passages regularly presents at and is endorsed by NMEA, and the two collaborate on field programs.
- National Geographic Education: National Geographic Education provides ocean-themed K-12 curricula and Explorer Classroom programming, including shipboard and exploration content that overlaps with Educational Passages' mission.
- U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps: The USNSCC delivers maritime-themed youth education through ship tours, training, and at-sea experience for school-age youth, comparable to Educational Passages in audience and maritime educational exposure.
Regional players
- Oregon Coast STEM Hub: Oregon Coast STEM Hub is a regional STEM collaboration hosting Educational Passages miniboat programs across Oregon schools. It is both a partner and partial peer in the regional ocean-literacy delivery chain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Educational Passages social profiles
Digital presenceEducational Passages financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Educational Passages leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Educational Passages funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Educational Passages M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Educational Passages
What does Educational Passages do?
Educational Passages runs the Miniboat Program, in which K-12 students construct 1.5-meter unmanned sailboats fitted with GPS and sensor packs, launch them into the ocean, and track their trans-oceanic voyages while collecting ocean science data. Supporting products include the Path Analysis Tool for voyage analytics, real-time Miniboat Maps, and the annual Recycle Regatta competition, all delivered as a free, donation-funded non-profit program connecting classrooms globally.
Is Educational Passages a public or private company?
Educational Passages is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Educational Passages founded?
Educational Passages was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Educational Passages based?
Educational Passages is headquartered in Northwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Educational Passages make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship Programs.
Who are Educational Passages's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sea Education Association, MATE Center (Marine Advanced Technology Education) and JASON Learning. SailBot International Robotic Sailing Regatta is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Ocean Exploration Trust, Schmidt Ocean Institute, National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), National Geographic Education and U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Oregon Coast STEM Hub is listed as a regional player.
Does Educational Passages have an API?
No public API is recorded for Educational Passages.
What industry is Educational Passages in?
Educational Passages's product category is Ocean STEM Education Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAGAM, Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs, with a secondary code of THAJAJAG, Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails). Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 8200.