Floating Classrooms: NYC Ferry to Turn Boats Into Floating Classrooms for Thousands of Students

Yisroel R.

NYC Ferry boats will soon serve a new purpose beyond transporting passengers, as the city launches a program that will turn vessels into floating classrooms for thousands of public school students.

The new initiative, called “Floating Classroom,” will offer 90-minute educational trips through New York Harbor, allowing students to learn about marine life, environmental protection, climate change, and careers in the maritime industry.

The program aims to bring more than 10,000 students onto the water each year, using ferry boats during the quieter months when passenger demand is lower.

The educational trips will operate on weekdays between Labor Day and Memorial Day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the capacity to accommodate up to 300 students daily.

Students will depart from the DUMBO ferry terminal in Brooklyn Bridge Park and travel through New York Harbor toward Governors Island, where they will get a firsthand look at the city’s waterways and marine ecosystems.

The initiative is a partnership between NYC Ferry, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Hornblower Group, and the Billion Oyster Project, an organization dedicated to restoring oyster reefs throughout New York Harbor.

The Billion Oyster Project will provide educators to lead the trips, building on its existing educational programs that have reached more than 66,000 students across the city.

Organizers hope the program will give students an opportunity to experience science outside the traditional classroom while making better use of ferry vessels during the off-season.