Features
Hands-On Minds-On

Since the opening of Maine Maritime in 1941, the catchphrase hands-on has been used to describe the essence of learning at the academy. The first hardy cadets even made their own desks and installed a furnace in their “free time” to get the school going. They were soon making their way at sea in World War II.

But what does the phrase mean today when graduates compete for jobs on a global basis as technology evolves at lightning speed?

The examples defining this form of experiential learning and its value span every MMA department.

Emergency Room Real Time

To start, there’s the latest development in the Arts & Sciences class, Medical Person in Charge, taught by Assistant Professor Jeff Boal.

At the beginning of each semester, he shows a PowerPoint presentation on medical procedures to be learned in the weeks ahead. Most of the students casually watch and take notes.

After only a few slides, though, Boal shows a video taken from a U.S. Coast Guard medevac helicopter in the process of evacuating a crew member — a recent MMA student—from a ship off the coast of Alaska.

Maine Maritime becomes the first maritime academy to offer clinical placement for students.

All eyes in the class focus on the screen. The video is brief, and Boal notes the crewman recovered physically after receiving shoreside treatment. Yet, it leaves a deep impression.

“It hammers home the reality of what they are learning,” Boal says.

“I tell them, ‘All of these things I’m talking to you about, they are real,

…Read More

  • Castine Downtown
    Cruising CastineBy sea or by land, enjoy all the area offers in summer.
    ...Read More
  • He Has the FormulaEddie Ma’s drive to succeed gained traction with financial support that keeps the gears turning.
    ...Read More