We foster environmental sustainability, youth development, and maritime careers through powerful shipboard programs aboard the schooner Adventuress on the waters of the Salish Sea. Adventuress is a century-old National Historic Landmark tall ship. Sound Experience is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) based in Washington State, USA.
Girls at the Helm: Spring Break Experience
Girls at the Helm is BACK! We are so excited to run this popular program this year - as a spring break experience!
Teens directly participate in every aspect of sailing the ship, from hauling lines to learning about navigation and STEAM principles. Through these activities they’ll learn the significance of teamwork, how to take responsibility for their own actions, and the pride of accomplishment. Sailing and learning together as the ships company, the participants will develop confidence as leaders, sailors and advocates for the future of the Salish Sea.
☸April 13-17 which includes a 4-day overnight and 1-day Mentor Sail
☸Sailing out of Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle
☸Female-identifying teens in grades 7-12
☸Scholarships available
Teens directly participate in every aspect of sailing the ship, from hauling lines to learning about navigation and STEAM principles. Through these activities they’ll learn the significance of teamwork, how to take responsibility for their own actions, and the pride of accomplishment. Sailing and learning together as the ships company, the participants will develop confidence as leaders, sailors and advocates for the future of the Salish Sea.
☸April 13-17 which includes a 4-day overnight and 1-day Mentor Sail
☸Sailing out of Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle
☸Female-identifying teens in grades 7-12
☸Scholarships available
Fantastic Voyage - Summer Overnight for Teens
Climb aboard for the popular teen program Fantastic Voyage this August! Be sure to join us this summer on this unique program where STEAM science, the Salish Sea, and maritime history come alive.
Where: Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle to Port of Everett
When: Overnight - Monday, August 3rd to Thursday, August 6th
Volunteer Aboard Adventuress!
Volunteer Work Weekend in February & March
Join us as we get together to care for Adventuress and keep her program-ready. No experience necessary, but if you have skills we are happy to put them to work. If you've signed up with us before simply go to our calendar at civicchamps.com but if you're brand new, click here to register -- and, welcome to the Sound Experience community!
Join us as we get together to care for Adventuress and keep her program-ready. No experience necessary, but if you have skills we are happy to put them to work. If you've signed up with us before simply go to our calendar at civicchamps.com but if you're brand new, click here to register -- and, welcome to the Sound Experience community!
Save the Date for The Adventuress Cup
A Community-Powered Sailing Challenge Supporting Transformative Youth Education on the Salish Sea
Join this fun, community-powered fundraiser supporting Sound Experience’s youth education mission. Sign up as an individual or team, invite friends to support your efforts, and help raise funds for transformative, on-the-water programs aboard the schooner Adventuress. Sail, celebrate, and make an impact—on and off the water.
Join this fun, community-powered fundraiser supporting Sound Experience’s youth education mission. Sign up as an individual or team, invite friends to support your efforts, and help raise funds for transformative, on-the-water programs aboard the schooner Adventuress. Sail, celebrate, and make an impact—on and off the water.
We're Create a Welcoming Community on the Water
If you have the means to make a gift you can help change the course of a young person’s life. Your donation to Sound Experience gives students the chance to step aboard Adventuress, discover their confidence, connect with the natural world, and become stewards of the Salish Sea. These powerful, hands-on experiences spark curiosity, build leadership, and open doors to futures they may never have imagined. Give today—and be part of the moment their world expands.
Pay-What-You-Can Membership
Our membership model is inclusive, equitable, and designed for a broader reach.
We've introduced a new approach to our membership model to better accommodate households across a range of income levels. Our new "mutual aid model" ensures inclusivity and equity, making Sound Experience membership accessible to all, regardless of financial circumstances. Our goal is to provide everyone—especially those with little or no access to the Salish Sea—the opportunity to experience this extraordinary National Historic Landmark sailing ship.
Here's how it works: If $50 is right for you, pay just that. If you have the means and want to further support this work, choose $100, $250 or more. You will get the same wonderful benefits! 30% off any public sail aboard Adventuress including anyone you bring with you.
Here's how it works: If $50 is right for you, pay just that. If you have the means and want to further support this work, choose $100, $250 or more. You will get the same wonderful benefits! 30% off any public sail aboard Adventuress including anyone you bring with you.
Party for Adventuress Gala & Benefit Auction
Because every young person deserves a place on deck—and a future on the water.
Your participation on October 3, 2026 helps ensure students of all backgrounds can learn by doing: sailing, science, teamwork, and stewardship, all on the water. Join us by attending the party, inviting friends, sponsoring the event, volunteering or making a gift—and be part of a community that believes every young person deserves a place on deck and a future connected to the sea.
Washington's First Approved On-The-Water Outdoor School!
We are excited to share that Outdoor Schools Washington has issued the Seal of Assurance for the satisfactory completion of the Washington State Safety & Management Review.
"Sound Experience has provided documentation and appropriate evidence of safety with their policies and procedures to minimize risk for staff and students. By working together to share best practices, and commit to quality programming, Outdoor Schools statewide will improve the outdoor school experiences for all Washington students in a safe and meaningful manner."
"Sound Experience has provided documentation and appropriate evidence of safety with their policies and procedures to minimize risk for staff and students. By working together to share best practices, and commit to quality programming, Outdoor Schools statewide will improve the outdoor school experiences for all Washington students in a safe and meaningful manner."
To learn more click the link below or contact Program Director, Jenny Huntley at jenny@soundexp.org or call 360-379-0438 x 5
“Kids learn through experience. Some of the most vivid and meaningful learning happens outside of the classroom… There aren’t many places on Earth that have a resource as powerful as Adventuress. I am truly grateful that my students can have this opportunity.”
“It’s a very unique opportunity for young people to get away from an urban environment and really live with a group of people working on the water. Partly it has to do with the historic nature of the ship and partly it has to do with a deep love for Puget Sound. Who wouldn’t want that for their kids?”
