The Noble Maritime Collection, an art and history museum on Staten Island, is the proud recipient of an Inspire! Grant for Small Museums from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support its latest education program, Maritime Careers of New York Harbor.

The museum is one of only 60 organizations nationwide to receive an Inspire! grant.

This grant from IMLS will enable the museum’s education department to offer Maritime Careers of New York Harbor to 300 students of all abilities, for free, at four Staten Island schools—PS 19, PS 31, IS 7, and IS 61—in the 2021/22 school year.

Maritime Careers is an education program conducted as a multi-session residency both at schools and the museum, which provides elementary and junior high school students with the opportunity to learn about an industry that supports 500,000 jobs and moves $200 billion worth of goods in the region, according to the Port of New York and New Jersey’s Council on Port Performance.

Cover of the Maritime Careers Workbook; photo by Michael McWeeney

Supplemented by a workbook written by museum Director of Programs Dawn Daniels, designed by photographer Michael McWeeney, and published by the museum earlier this year, the program begins to set career goals for students and supports their pursuit of further training and education options in high school and beyond.

Maritime Careers was first developed in 2018 with the support of local foundations the Richmond County Savings Foundation, the Staten Island Foundation, and the Marine Society of the City of New York. The shipyard visits that are part of the program are hosted by the Atlantic Salt, Inc., and its owner, Shelagh Mahoney, serves on the museum’s Board of Trustees.

“I have seen firsthand the reaction of schoolchildren when they participate in Maritime Careers of New York Harbor,” said Mrs. Daniels. “They become immersed in the unique mix of elements the program has to offer, including visits to the museum and neighboring shipyards, and through the program’s colorful workbook. They experience the magic of seeing harbor operations close up, and interact with workers who talk about the jobs they do.”

Mrs. Daniels continued, “The program also has creative components that celebrate waterfront history and culture, such as singing sea shanties and printmaking. The students interpret what they learn about the maritime industry through the arts, a process that yields exciting results. I am extremely honored that IMLS chose to support this program, and look forward to seeing the joy it will bring to so many children in the coming school year.”

“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”

“John A. Noble, the museum’s namesake, sought to increase awareness about New York’s working waterfront through his art,” said the Noble Maritime Collection’s Executive Director Ciro Galeno, Jr. “I hope he would be pleased that we are using arts education to inspire a new generation of mariners, or at least make local children aware of the importance of the maritime industry that surrounds us.”

“It is humbling that the IMLS chose the Noble Maritime Collection as one of only 60 organizations in the US to receive an Inspire! grant,” Mr. Galeno continued. “It is a testament to the inspiring work that Dawn and the museum’s teaching artists are doing.”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov.

In addition to Maritime Careers, the Noble Maritime Collection offers a variety of arts education programs, including immersive character-based classes that teach about history, and art classes including printmaking, inspired by Noble’s preference for the medium. Programs can be conducted virtually due to the pandemic. For more information, visit www.noblemaritime.org/education.