Community Programs

Hands-on Programs

Every year we present a series of community events that invite the public to visit our Copeland Maritime Center and shipyard campus for exciting and educational experiences.

LEGO Brick Shipbuilding Day

Every March, LEGO fans of all ages and skill levels unite to build STEM-based LEGO ship kits including the USS Liberty and the Kalmar Nyckel. They can also create their own ships in our free-build rooms, or build ships at home to compete for great prizes. 

Captain Kidd's Pirate Day

Come aboard each summer when pirate fans and families make landfall for a day in the life of a pirate with Tall Ship tours on the Kalmar Nyckel, pirate crafts, cannon demonstrations, and more. Costumes optional!

Halloween Ghost Ship 

Dress in your favorite costume and discover our indoor Halloween Ghost Ship, free pumpkin painting, Tall Ship tours with our costumed crew, costume parades, spooky crafts, and more.  Join us in October for this family-friendly afternoon.

Workforce Development

Challenge Program Partnership

Workforce development is an expanding program goal for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation.  For six years, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and neighboring Challenge Program (CP) have partnered to deliver a workforce development program for CP trainees during the ship's winter maintenance season. From November through mid-March, Challenge Program trainees learn and contribute to the maintenance to The Tall Ship of Delaware under the supervision of KNF staff. 

Woodworking and marine industry skills including refinishing wood pieces: sanding, scraping, and varnishing are a focus of the work. The trainees develop skills and contribute to various ship projects. They support critical ship maintenance while also learning “soft” skills working with KNF staff and a regular group of seasoned volunteers. 

This workforce program is highly successful for the trainees and a great benefit to both organizations. KNF provides excellent job skill development, and with the Challenge Program building located in the shipyard, trainees can easily access other aspects of their program. It is a winning solution that we hope to continue for many more years.

Deck Hands and Live-aboard Internships

Every year, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, recruits winter deck hands to support our ship maintenance program while also developing each applicant's marine industry skills. These junior employees learn and explore our industry while gaining practical maintenance skills, interpersonal skills managing interns and volunteers, plus life experience living on our ship.

We also interview and accept live-aboard interns each season to provide a learning environment for tall ship work experience as well as mentorship from our professional officers and veteran volunteers. It provide a unique opportunity for people considering a marine industry career path as well as those who are in transition, considering graduate school, new job skills, or seeking a transformative experience. We have seen our interns and decks hands move onto great things: becoming tall ship captains and officers, museum work, moving across the country or overseas, and entering programs for Masters degrees in a wide range of studies from physical therapy to divinity school.

Support

If you are interested in supporting our workforce development programs, and would like to learn more, please contact Amy Bielicki, Director of Development at [email protected] or 302.429.7447.

Community Outreach

We invite you to partner with us on local or regional education programs for the benefit of our community. Some of the organizations that have invited us to provide programming include the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Winterthur, 76ers Field House, and Nemours Children's Health System.

Our community outreach partners include:

• Challenge Program
• Children and Families First
• Delaware Futures
• Latin American Community Center
• West End Neighborhood House

Please contact us to learn more or to submit a proposal. 

Service Learning

As a volunteer-based organization, we welcome groups to spend some time on our maritime center campus in service to the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. Enjoy working alongside our tall ship community, often spending time outdoors (weather permitting), and learning more about our mission and unique shipyard campus.

Groups we have partnered with include Delaware Military Academy; Scout Groups and Del-Mar-Va Council; Delaware Adolescent Program; Serviam Girls Academy; Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the University of Delaware.