Hi, my name is Lauren Dupuis, I am a 15-year-old high school student from New Brunswick, Canada, and I have been chosen as 1 of 60 students to set sail on the journey of a lifetime!

It has been my dream to embark on this expensive and extensive journey since I first heard of Class Afloat 3 years ago. I am excited about sharing my newly learned skills, abilities and knowledge upon my return to enrich my community.

Attending the program comes with a hefty price tag, and rightfully so! I will break this down for you in more detail later on [Just click “Read more”], but for now, I just wanted to say thank you for reading this far! Any and all support is greatly appreciated.

The Excitement

When this year's applications opened, I just had to apply even though the chance of getting chosen is extremely low as thousands of applications come in from around the world.

A short time after applying, I received an email from the admissions team to book a first interview. I was as excited as I was nervous. In spite of my nervousness, the first interview went well. Sure enough, I received an email for a second interview with the head of the school.

Needless to say, we had a great conversation, and shortly thereafter, I received my letter of acceptance. I was over the moon!

Can we actually afford this?

Now what? In the last few weeks, my mother and I have gone back and forth on how we can possibly come up with so much money. We have decided to take a leap of faith and go for it.

Let me be completely transparent with you on this - I did apply for their scholarship program, and due to my community involvement and financial need, I was awarded a $15,000 CAD scholarship. I don’t think I would even be starting this fundraiser if it was not for that, so thank you very much to the Class Afloat Foundation.

Now let's talk numbers. The whole program costs $58,500 CAD, which does not include the following: safety gear, proper clothing, extra health insurance, and flights to get there and back.

All in all, I am estimating the total cost less the scholarship to come in at roughly $45,000 CAD.

I have personally saved up $2,000 CAD and already secured my summer job, which will add another $4,000 CAD. On top of that, I am starting my own baking fundraiser called “Bake Your Day by Lauren”, where I bake in exchange for donations from local companies and individuals. I am committed to putting all my time and energy into making this dream of mine possible.

My mother can contribute money as well, but as I mentioned before, it is just not enough.

Therefore, I hope to raise $30,000 CAD with your help and support to make this dream of mine a reality.

Should I receive more support locally than hoped for, I will adjust my goal above to reflect what I truly need.

Why me, Why Class Afloat?

Let me tell you a bit more about myself. Over the last five years, I have been involved in several youth programs as both a participant and a volunteer. I have developed evening programming for younger kids, created and carried out a middle school program that collected donations, purchased gifts, and delivered them to sick children in our local hospital, organized school runs to raise funds for the New Brunswick Lung Association and the local animal shelter, worked at a summer camp as a camp counsellor, and most recently raised money for Lions Sick Kids Foundation through Dragon Boat.

I am beyond excited to embark on a life-changing journey that will, without a doubt, broaden my horizons, shift my perspective and educate me on the different lives of people around the world. More than that, I look forward to sharing my newly gained experiences and wisdom for the rest of my life to make a difference in others’ lives.

Class Afloat will, without a doubt, force me far outside of my comfort zone. I will live and be engaged in every aspect of tall ship sailing onboard a beautiful vessel named the Alexander von Humboldt II, all while taking high school courses and visiting up to 20 locations on land at ports of call on four different continents. More info right here: classafloat.com

Class Afloat is a high school program, but it is also a leadership program where I will learn what good leaders are made of and improve my ability to be a part of and work as a team.

Whether through an on-land program volunteering in our destination communities or sailing from port to port, I will get the opportunity to participate in experiential programs designed to showcase each country’s culture and history while also being provided with opportunities to explore the natural landscape.

I believe that life is meant to be expansive, and Class Afloat is my opportunity to embody this philosophy. Countless charities and causes need and deserve our support. This one is an investment in the future of someone from our community seeking to better themselves to bring those skills and knowledge back to our community and create something great. I don’t know if it’ll be the pursuit of a baking business, furthering my education in a field that is much needed around the region, more volunteering with organizations that could use the skills, or all of it, but I know that no matter what I end up doing once Class Afloat ends, it will be the beginning of my adult life in the region. So often, we see young people leaving in pursuit of their dream life. I’m doing the opposite: I’m going now to be able to return and give back.

Final Words

Now that you have gotten to know me a little more, I hope you feel that I am deserving of your help and support. I will be eternally grateful for anything you can do that brings me closer to realizing my dream, even if it is simply sharing my story and my Go Fund Me page with your family and friends.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I look forward to sharing updates and milestones here and once I am on my journey, through my Instagram account @life_at_sea22_23

Yours truly,

Lauren Dupuis