Learning, working and living together

A home away from home

Discover the world with a group of new and interesting people. The ship is both your means of transport and your home away from home. Over time, your co-travellers become family.

Life on board means taking responsibility. For yourself, for others, and for the ship. You have to make it all work, collectively, as a community. Together, you take care of each other, sail and maintain the ship, work on your academic education, and explore the world. This forges an unbreakable bond between you and your fellow sailors and you will make friends for life. Over time, the collection of individual people, cultures, boundaries, possibilities and ideas will develop into a true micro society based on mutual responsibility and respect.

The group will also start to feel like a family. And just as in a real family, you sometimes don’t agree with each other. Imagine living together with about 30 brothers and sisters! The best part of living on a ship is that there is no easy way out. This is challenging at first, but it also means that everyone has to make an effort to understand each other, communicate clearly and compromise. These are important skills not only on board but also in life. At Schola Polaris we enable you to develop these skills like nowhere else.

Weekly schedule

At Schola Polaris, you follow a dynamic weekly schedule that combines academic learning with duties on board. Every week has school days, watch days and days for reflection and portfolio writing.

3 days

IB Diploma Programme

Online live lessons, synchronous and independent coursework, and academic growth.

3 days

Watch duties and sailtraining

Sailing the ship, doing chores, keeping lookout, and doing everything else that is necessary to ensure safe travel. During watch, you get hands-on experience sailing a tall ship. Eventually, you and your peers sail the ship yourselves during a ship takeover.

1 day

Portfolio and reflection

One day of the week is spent on working on your portfolio, the DP core curriculum, extra assignments, and reflecting on the voyage so far.

A watch day at sea

On watch days, it’s time to sail! You will have watch duty a few times every week. During watch, you and your watch mates are responsible for everything that is necessary to ensure safe travel.

No prior sailing experience is needed; everything is learned on board through guidance, teamwork, and taking real responsibility at sea. You start with literally learning the ropes and develop your skills as you go.

During watch, you will be responsible for taking away the sail, maintaining course, keeping a lookout for squalls and ships, and filling in the logbook. Every watch also has other tasks, like baking bread, doing laundry and cleaning the common area. Once every two weeks, you will assist in the kitchen, helping the chef create amazing meals for the entire crew. This hands-on experience not only builds sailing skills but also empowers you to lead and work as part of a team, all while exploring new destinations. As the journey progresses, you will become more and more independent in all these tasks.

All this leads up to one of the most exciting parts of the programme: a ship takeover! During a ship takeover, you and your friends literally sail the ship yourselves, with you taking on the roles of captain, mate, chef, and more!

Some examples of the different watch shifts can be found below.

11:30 PM

Time to get up!

Someone from the previous watch shift wakes you up and gives you some information about the weather. Time to get ready!

12:00 AM – 03:00 AM

Watch

You are on watch! That means making sure the rest of the people on board can sleep soundly. They trust you and your watch will take care of the sailing and the chores. These chores might include cleaning the common area, because that is easiest when no one else is awake… The 12:00 AM to 03:00 PM watch can also eat a small meal under the stars. The nightsnacks are legendary!

03:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Sleep

After your watch, you can get some well deserved rest. You will sleep through breakfast, but don’t worry, you will have eaten a small meal during your watch.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Relax and prepare

Time to wake up! Start you day with some relaxation and prepare for your next watch. It starts sooner than you think!

12:00 PM – 03:00 PM

Watch

Time for watch again! This time during the day. During this watch, lunch is also served so you can again enjoy a nice meal in the fresh air. Don’t forget to keep a lookout and do your chores!

03:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Homework

Don’t forget your studies! On watch days, there is plenty of time to do homework or asynchronous, independent tasks.

05:00 PM – 07:00 PM

Free time

More free time! Read a book, chat with your friends, play chess or just stare out over the ocean. You decide how you spend your time.

07:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Dinner and evening

Another meal! After eating dinner, you can decide what to do with your evening. Maybe you need to do some more homework, or maybe you want to get an early night. Remember! Your watch starts at 12:00 AM again, so a quick nap might be a good idea…

02:30 AM

Time to get up!

Someone from the previous watch shift wakes you up and gives you some information about the weather. Time to get ready!

03:00 AM – 06:00 AM

Watch

You are on watch! That means making sure the rest of the people on board can sleep soundly. They trust you and your watch will take care of the sailing and the chores. These chores might include cleaning the common area, because that is easiest when no one else is awake… The 12:00 AM to 03:00 PM watch can also eat a small meal under the stars.

06:00 AM – 08:00 AM

Free time

Get an early start and get some independent schoolwork done or relax while you wait for breakfast. It’s up to you, but don’t forget about your studies! On watch days, there is plenty of time to do homework or asynchronous, independent tasks.

08:00 AM

Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast together with your watch and your shipmates that have a school day. You can tell them about everything you experienced during your watch!

08:30 AM – 12:45 PM

Sleep

Time for a quick nap! Rest is important, so make sure you get enough sleep.

01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

Lunch, homework and preparations

Enjoy a well balanced meal, prepared by your shipmates. After lunch, you can get some homework done, but remember to prepare for your next watch! It starts sooner than you think.

03:00 PM – 06:00 PM

Watch

It’s your turn to do your watch duties again. Maybe there will be dolphins today…

07:00 PM – 02:30 AM

Dinner and evening

Another meal! After eating dinner, you can decide what to do with your evening. Maybe you need to do some more homework, or maybe you want to get an early night. Remember! Your watch starts at 03:00 AM again, so sleeping might be a good idea…

05:30 AM

Time to get up!

Someone from the previous watch shift wakes you up and gives you some information about the weather. Time to get ready!

06:00 AM – 09:00 AM

Watch

You are on watch! That means making sure the rest of the people on board can sleep soundly. They trust you and your watch will take care of the sailing and the chores. These chores might include cleaning the toilets. The 06:00 AM to 09:00 PM eats breakfast during the watch.

09:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Homework

Don’t forget your studies! On watch days, there is plenty of time to do homework or asynchronous, independent tasks.

11:30 AM – 01:00 PM

Free time

Time for relaxation! Chat with your friends, play a game or just stare out over the ocean for a while. It’s up to you.

01:00 PM – 06:00 PM

Lunch, homework and preparations

Enjoy a well balanced meal, prepared by your shipmates. After lunch, you can get some homework done, but remember to prepare for your next watch! It starts sooner than you think.

06:00 PM – 09:00 PM

Watch

It’s your turn to do your watch duties again. You will have dinner on the bridge during your watch.

09:00 PM – 05:30 AM

Sleep

After your watch, it’s time for some well earned rest. Sleeping is important, so make sure you take plenty of rest!

07:30 AM

Time to get up!

Breakfast is served at 08:00 AM. You will have breakfast together

08:00 AM – 09:00 AM

Breakfast and preparation

Enjoy breakfast together with your watch and your shipmates that have a school day. After breakfast, you have time to get ready for your watch.

09:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Watch

You are on watch! That means making sure the rest of the people on board can sleep soundly. They trust you and your watch will take care of the sailing and the chores. These chores might include baking bread or checking all the vegetables.

12:00 PM – 01:00 PM

Free time

Get some schoolwork done or relax while you wait for lunch. It’s up to you, but don’t forget about your studies! On watch days, there is plenty of time to do homework or asynchronous, independent tasks.

01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

Lunch and homework

Enjoy a well balanced meal, prepared by your shipmates. After lunch, you can get some homework done.

03:00 PM – 06:00 PM

Free time and a quick nap

Enough sleep is important, so don’t forget to take enough rest. A quick nap during this time can make a lot of difference!

07:00 PM – 08:30 PM

Dinner and evening

Another meal! After eating dinner, you can decide what to do with your evening. Maybe you need to do some more homework, or chat with your friends. Remember! Your watch starts at 09:00 PM.

09:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Watch

It’s your turn to do your watch duties again.

12:30 AM – 7:30 AM

Sleep

Time for some well earned rest!

The ship

Discover the world with a group of new and interesting people. The ship is both your means of transport and your home away from home. Over time, your co-travellers become family.

Our ship meets strict international maritime safety standards and is carefully maintained to ensure smooth and secure sailing. We combine expert knowledge with thorough preparation – from detailed route planning to regular safety drills – to ensure that both students and crew are thoroughly equipped to handle any situation at sea.

She has spacious cabins, each equipped with a private shower and toilet. The common rooms include a saloon, meaning there is plenty of space for doing schoolwork or simply relaxing with your friends.

Safety first!

Safety is a requirement, a shared responsibility, and a key part of the Schola Polaris learning experience.

Students not only learn to sail; they also become part of a team that is trained in essential safety procedures, including the use of life jackets, emergency protocols, and regular onboard drills. Our experienced crew guides and supports students every step of the way, helping them to build the confidence and awareness they need throughout the voyage.

With no access to your phone, you will have the chance to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Once a week, you can e-mail your family and friends with updates on your adventure. You will also receive an e-mail from home once a week. This creates a very valuable experience, comparable to sending letters in the days before the internet. Our on-board media coordinator will keep friends and family in the loop with regular updates on social media and our website, so you can still share your journey with the world!

In case of an emergency or similar situation on board, parents or guardians will be contacted by the captain and/or project coordinator directly. If something has happened at home that your child needs to know about immediately, you can contact the Schola Polaris emergency number. This is available at any time. When you contact us, we will discuss the options with you.