Vicarious Voyage

Connecting U.S. Students to the SAS Experience

This successful enrichment program helps to connect K-12 students with Semester at Sea participants during their travels around the world. SAS participants adopt a U.S. classroom and send cultural artifacts (such as newspapers, maps, photographs, media, artwork) that teachers use to facilitate discussions on international topics, countries, or cultures. This special relationship allows young students to learn about the world in a far more vibrant way than textbooks can provide.

Quick Facts

• Available fall and spring semesters only.
• A fun, social program onboard the ship that includes "packing parties" where groups share information and assemble "cultural packets." A minimum of three cultural packets are sent to the classrooms throughout the voyage.
• Cultural packets contain interesting items that help explain the people and culture of the country. Items have included front page of newspapers, menus, maps, stamps, pictures from magazines, a list of commonly-used words and phrases, photographs, travel brochures, and much more.
• Topics, such as food, clothing, religion, weather, transportation, money, art, work, prices, etc., are selected and focused on in communication with the adopted classrooms.
• Letters and postcards are received from students in the adopted classrooms during the voyage.
• Adopted classrooms follow the course of the voyage and insight is given to non-Western societies that helps forge cross-cultural understandings that go well beyond mere stereotypes.
• When possible, Semester at Sea participants may visit their adopted classrooms at the completion of the voyage. While not guaranteed, attempts are made to place participants with classrooms near their home or school.

Demand for classroom participation is large. If you are an educator interested in having your class participate, or you know of a classroom who would be interested, please e-mail [This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots; you need JavaScript enabled to view it] or call 800-854-0195. Classrooms cannot be added after the start of a voyage.