ActionQuest is an organization which offers adventure programs for teenagers during the months of June, July and August. These programs include sail training, marine science, and SCUBA training courses in locations throughout the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
and the
Galapagos,
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
, and the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
. ActionQuest is a member of the
Global Expeditions Group
Global Expeditions Group, or GXG, is the parent company of the Sea, mester, ActionQuest, and GoBeyond Student Travel brands. The company's origins began in 1985 with ActionQuest some years after its founder Jim Stoll left the Flint School. Ov ...
family of brands. ActionQuest is a Tall Ships America affiliate member and participates in its annual conference in Boston.
Mission
ActionQuest is an institution dedicated to "guiding diverse groups of young adults on exceptional global expeditions; challenging them with high action adventures that promote personal growth, teamwork and leadership".
History
ActionQuest began running programs in the
British Virgin Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = Territorial song
, song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
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in the mid-1980s; however, its seafaring history extends back to the
Flint School. In his youth before starting ActionQuest, Jim Stoll worked as an educator and sailed with his mother and father at their family preparatory school known as the
Flint School. Additionally, he had the opportunity to sail with
Irving and Exy Johnson, who are considered the pioneers of sea training and was inspired to continue creating sail training programs himself.
ActionQuest headquarters are located in
Sarasota,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. A large bulk of the summer programs are run out of West End,
Tortola, at Soper's Hole Marina using yachts chartered from
Sunsail. Sunsail has since moved its charter base from West End to Hodge's Creek and finally to
Road Town in 2007. ActionQuest continues to charter boats through them.
When the founder's son decided to complete his goal of sailing around the world, he sailed to various locations in which ActionQuest later decided to expand their programs. By the late 1990s, ActionQuest included programs in satellite locations such as
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
and
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
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, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
,
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and the
Galapagos.
In 2006, ActionQuest's sister company Sea, mester built the 112-foot
staysail
A staysail ("stays'l") is a fore-and-aft rigged sail whose Sail components#Edges, luff can be affixed to a stays (nautical), stay running forward (and most often but not always downwards) from a mast (sailing), mast to the deck (ship), deck, the b ...
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
''Argo'' for college students; however, in the summertime, programs are opened to high school teenagers to sail aboard in either the Mediterranean or the Western Pacific.
ActionQuest uses
PADI certified scuba instructors and offers courses from Open Water Diver through Divemaster. ActionQuest also works with
International Yachtmaster Training (IYT) for sailing certifications. The Majority of students gain an Open Water certification in the British Virgin Islands. Marine Biology is also offered for high school credit in the BVI's.
From ActionQuest grew two other institutions,
Seamester
Seamester (also known by the trade name Sea , mester) is part of the Global Expeditions Group, an organization that offers academic, study abroad programs on board three sailing vessels, ''Ocean Star (Schooner), Ocean Star'', ''Argo (Yacht), Arg ...
Global Programs and
GoBeyond Student Travel. Sea, mester owns three schooners,
''Ocean Star'' and
''Argo'' and
''Vela'' to run full-time training programs for college students around the world.
GoBeyond Student Travel runs community-service based programs in the
British Virgin Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = Territorial song
, song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
, image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg
, map_caption =
, mapsize = 290px
, image_map2 = Brit ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Galapagos,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
Awards
* Sea Education Program of the Year Award from Tall Ships America 2011
* PADI Recognition of Excellence
* PADI 20 Years of Outstanding Service
References
{{Reflist
External links
ActionQuest Adventure Summer Camps for Teenagers
Outdoor education organizations