How it started
Edu@Sea has decades of experience with ocean voyages for both adolescents and young adults. After experiencing a life changing ocean voyage herself, Edu@Sea founder and director Monique Touw, decided make it her goal to provide adolescents and young adults with the same type of experiences. We feel there is no better environment to truly get to know yourself and also receive hands-on practical learning than on a sailing vessel crossing the ocean.
The Edu@Sea programmes started with shorter voyages, meant to allow students to experience life on board a ship for one or two weeks. Soon, this was expanded and in 2011 School at Sea was founded. With School at Sea, we have already guided 15 groups of Dutch high school students on remarkable ocean voyages, voyages in which they successfully balanced life at sea with excellent academic achievement in a safe environment dedicated to individual growth and exploration
Building on the strong foundations laid by School at Sea, Schola Polaris draws on more than a fifteen years of experience in maritime education and personal development. Schola Polaris, in partnership with SEK International School Global Campus, Edu@Sea is providing International Baccalaureate (IB) students the same opportunity to join us on board. SEK has nearly 50 years of experience in delivering the IB programme internationally, while the SEK International School Global Campus is one of only a few schools selected to pilot the International Baccalaureate’s fully online IB Diploma Programme (DP).
Now, through this cooperation between SEK and Schola Polaris, IB students can broaden their perspectives, both on the water and beyond, in a unique learning experience that challenges them to grow in ways they never imagined.
Our mission and values
Schola Polaris is a unique IB Diploma Programme held at sea. While sailing across oceans and visiting different countries, students follow the full IB curriculum through online learning, surrounded by a diverse international group of peers and immersed in new cultures at every port.
Learning takes place not only through academic study, but also through constant interaction with one another, with the people and communities they encounter, and with the changing world around them. As they live and travel together, students gain a deeper understanding of different perspectives, ways of life, and what it means to be part of a global community.
A year at sea,
a lifetime of perspective
We believe that students are capable of far more than they think possible.
Our mission is to support young people in becoming confident, self-aware individuals with the knowledge, skills, and insight to navigate an ever-changing world. People who take responsibility, work well with others, and lead with creativity, empathy, and a commitment to the well-being of the whole group.
Life on board invites challenge and growth. Students learn by doing, by reflecting, and by stepping outside their comfort zone. Mistakes are part of the process, and learning happens through experience – gradually building independence, responsibility, and confidence. This all comes together during the student-led ship “takeovers” – when the crew takes a step back and the students sail the vessel themselves.
The IB Learner Profile is woven into daily life. Qualities like curiosity, open-mindedness, compassion, and critical thinking are not just encouraged, they are required and strengthened through both academic and practical challenges.
Schola Polaris is much more than following your school subjects at sea; it offers the space and structure for young people to discover who they are, what they can do, and how they want to take part in the world.
On board, you can’t do everything yourself.
You need to delegate and trust others
to do their part.
Amber, former participant
Do you have any questions?
You can contact us through our contact page. Also check out our FAQ page, maybe the answer to your question can also be found there.