Drew Faculty Help Launch Global Climate Education Project Aboard Norwegian Tall Ship

Over Spring Break, Krahling and Kerr traveled to Bergen, Norway to take part in the official launch of the One Ocean Expedition’s "Message in a Bottle" project—a global learning initiative empowering students to reflect, create, and take action for the ocean. The launch took place during One Ocean Week, a climate-focused summit that brought together international leaders including United Nations representatives, scientists, business executives, academics, youth climate activists, and even the Crown Prince.

The project kicked off aboard the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a Norwegian tall ship serving as both a sail training vessel and scientific research platform during the year-long One Ocean Expedition, part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science. The ship set sail from Bergen during their visit and is now en route to ports around the world—collecting student-created messages in each location, including a much-anticipated stop here in San Francisco this November!

Krahling and Kerr were invited to design the educational tasks for the Message in a Bottle initiative, which connects students internationally through climate action and ocean literacy. Drew’s own Climate Academy and Marine Science students are currently working on their final projects for the semester, contributing their messages to the global collection. Submissions can take the form of scientific reports, creative expressions, or personal reflections, and will be showcased on the One Ocean Expedition website as well as aboard the ship itself.

“Drew parent Gry Henrickson, whose daughter Elise was in our first Climate Academy class, told us about the One Ocean Expedition, which she is involved in through her role as Norwegian Consul General here in San Francisco,” said Krahling. “After seeing the experiential and real-world nature of Climate Academy, Gry thought Drew would be a great partner for the expedition. We’re grateful for this connection, as it gives us the opportunity to bring the magic of a Drew education to students and educators around the world.”

“This is the most significant thing I’ve done in my 39 years of teaching,” added Kerr. “Talia and I were given the opportunity to bring our curriculum to a global organization with connections to leaders who have the power to make change. What is special about Message in the Bottle is that it is empowering students to use their voices just like in our mission.”

While in Norway, the two educators took part in summit discussions on ocean sustainability and education, helped local Bergen students deliver their first messages aboard the ship, and met with international partners already integrating the Drew-designed curriculum. One Icelandic school has already completed a task from the project and presented it aboard the ship, with many more schools expected to join as the voyage continues - check out their post from this morning!

The journey will bring Statsraad Lehmkuhl to San Francisco from November 4–7, and Drew students will be invited onboard to present their own messages as part of the global initiative and be on a youth panel. Stay tuned for updates!!

In the meantime, the Drew community is invited to experience the students’ work firsthand at the Climate Academy Project Showcase on Tuesday, May 27, from 1–2:30 p.m. in the Learning Commons. This event will celebrate the culmination of the Message in a Bottle action projects and offer a glimpse into Drew’s growing role on the world stage of climate education.