MIAMI, July 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fathom,
the pioneer in social impact travel and Carnival Corporation's
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) 10th and newest brand, is
finalizing preparations for its July
17 Dominican Republic voyage representing the first ever
cruise to the Caribbean focused on
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming. The
7-day cruise will feature specialized STEM-focused workshops for
educators that Fathom developed in close collaboration with the
Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL). Fathom also will
play host to the fifth annual Clean Tech Competition, a unique
research and design challenge for pre-college youth. Additionally,
advertising students from the Gaylord College at
the University of Oklahoma's
(OU) student-run advertising and public relations agency Lindsey +
Asp will join the sailing as part of their partnership with Fathom
to promote this first-ever STEM-focused cruise to the Caribbean.
"Since our founding, Fathom has considered experiential
education a central element of the experience we are bringing to
travelers and communities," said Tara
Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for
Carnival Corporation. "By hosting the first-ever STEM cruise to the
Caribbean, we are demonstrating
our commitment to education in a creative and innovative way by
engaging as partners, educators and students who are actively
working to advance our collective understanding and application of
STEM while at the same time working to further build young
leaders."
Russell has a personal reason for wanting to create this
community. "Both Tyson (10) and Lucy (8) love complicated math. I
want to do all I can to encourage their continuing passion. We need
to make math and science and business cool and exciting for kids -–
so they embrace their interests and don't feel like outsiders for
studying what they love."
According to Russell, Fathom's partnership with the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College
student-run advertising and public relations agency is yet another
way the company is furthering its commitment to education. "The
students created an incredible project during their capstone class
on behalf of Fathom, which led to an ongoing partnership between
Fathom and Lindsey + Asp. Through this partnership, they have
applied their classroom learning to a 'real-world' marketing
opportunity – to build awareness and drive sales for Fathom," she
said. "With this cruise, we have created a 'living lab' for them to
put their skills to work as they promote Fathom while seeing for
themselves the truly unique impact experience we provide enhanced
this week by the STEM theme."
For educator programming, Fathom worked alongside Ray Ann Havasy, Ph.D., director of the CSTL, to
design progressive and engaging professional development workshops
to help educators continue promoting student learning of critical
STEM concepts. Fathom workshops will provide specialized training
and information on STEM-related teaching resources, collaborative
STEM program support, and technical career development
opportunities. The featured onboard programing will emphasize the
following areas:
- Project based learning
- Hands-on science activity ideas and demonstrations
- Dinosaurs
- Weather
- STEM questioning techniques
- Earth science
- Endangered species
As host of the Clean Tech Competition, Fathom will welcome
onboard talented 15- to 18-year old students from around the world
to showcase their creative solutions to "Make an Impact" by
offsetting humans' negative effects on the planet. The competition
is designed to foster a deeper understanding of STEM-related
concepts, recognize outstanding talent, and prepare the next
generation of globally competitive innovators. The winning team
will receive an award of $10,000, as
well as the opportunity to develop an ongoing relationship with a
professor who will serve as a long-time mentor and assist them in
furthering their work and education.
Fathom's Partnership with the University
of Oklahoma Gaylord College
An additional element of the Fathom's July 17 cruise will be the participation of
University of Oklahoma (OU) advertising
students on the sailing. Members of the University's student-run
advertising and public relations agency Lindsey + Asp will travel
aboard the STEM-focused sailing to film Fathom's impact activities
and share its commitment to student education globally.
Participating in the sailing is just another step in what began as
a semester-long capstone project, which led to the agency's
full-time partnership with Fathom to apply four years of coursework
and academic study in a "real-world" engagement designed to promote
the new brand.
As a part of the students' semester-long project, they worked
closely with Fathom to strengthen Fathom's brand awareness and
educate the consumer marketplace about the new impact travel
category. The students conducted focus groups on to design their
campaign for the company then implemented a robust program
throughout the year.
STEM Activities Augmented by Social Impact
Experiences
Travelers sailing aboard the STEM voyage will participate in the
range of social impact activities in the Dominican Republic for which Fathom has become
known, including educational programs benefitting school-aged
children and adult students alike. For STEM educators on the
July 17 cruise, Fathom has organized
additional, special exchanges between U.S. and Dominican teachers
to discuss how to further integrate STEM content into the Dominican
school curriculum.
In addition to the education programs, Fathom offers a broad
range of authentic impact activities focusing on the environment
and economic development. The company has developed close
partnerships with organizations with deep roots in the Dominican Republic. The activities travelers
participate in will have an immediate and lasting impact, tailored
specifically to what each community needs most. Example impact
activities include building water filters for Dominican homes;
helping a women's cooperative produce artisan chocolates; improving
homes and common areas in impoverished communities; assisting arts
and crafts entrepreneurs; participating in community
English-language retention activities; and supporting reforestation
efforts.
Fathom's STEM sailing is a first of its kind in which educators
can learn, share and motivate each other while continuing their own
professional development and supporting talented pre-college youth
from around the world. They may do all this while collectively
impacting the lives of thousands of Dominicans through organized
social impact activities. Prices for the seven-day STEM trip to the
Dominican Republic start at
$499 per person, excluding taxes,
fees and port expenses and including all meals on the ship, onboard
social impact immersion experiences, three on-shore social impact
activities and related supplies. To reserve a spot on this and
future Fathom sailings, travelers may call 1-855-932-8466 or work
with a travel professional. Learn more at www.Fathom.org.
About Fathom Travel to the Dominican Republic
Fathom is a different kind of cruise that combines one's love of
travel with the desire to travel deep and make a difference in the
world. Fathom defined a new category of travel, Social Impact
Travel. Part of the Carnival Corporation (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK)
family, Fathom offers consumers authentic, meaningful travel
experiences to enrich the life of the traveler and work alongside
locals as they tackle community needs in the Dominican Republic. Fathom is unique in that
it leverages Carnival Corporation's expertise and scale for a
one-of-a-kind business model to create long-term collaboration with
its partner countries, allowing for sustained social impact and
lasting development. Fathom will serve the sizable and growing
market of potential social impact travel consumers – approximately
one million North Americans – in addition to global travelers
already pursuing service-oriented travel experiences worldwide.
Sailing aboard the MV Adonia, a 704-passenger vessel redeployed
from Carnival Corporation's P&O Cruises (UK), Fathom will
engage, mobilize, educate and equip travelers on every Dominican Republic trip allowing for rich
personal enrichment and thousands of impact activity days per
visit– and tens of thousands of travelers a year to communities of
promise, providing unprecedented scale for impact.
About Fathom Travel to Cuba
Recently earning U.S. and Cuban government approvals, Fathom was
the first cruise company to sail from the U.S. to Cuba in more than
50 years. Fathom's round-trip culturally immersive cruise itinerary
will initially feature experiences in the Cuban port cities of
Havana, Cienfuegos, and
Santiago de Cuba, providing
travelers the opportunity to see the vast island and enjoy a rich
and vibrant culture that until now most U.S. travelers have only
seen in photographs. Designed for rich immersion and ease of
travel, the Fathom Cuban itinerary offers passengers a comfortable
cabin including all the amenities of a modern hotel, plus the
convenience of having to unpack only once. Every night, Fathom
travelers return to the comforts of the MV Adonia, where they can
relax knowing that all the details of getting from location to
location in Cuba are handled.
For more information about Fathom or to book a voyage, contact
your Travel Professional, call Fathom toll-free at 1-855-932-8466
or visit www.Fathom.org.
About The Center for Science Teaching and
Learning
The Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) has a
mission to encourage STEM learning and literacy in everyone. CSTL
is a 501(C3) nonprofit organization that is operated by a
passionate, intelligent, and highly qualified staff that includes
scientists, certified teachers, and former school administrators.
These professionals are dedicated to creating STEM programs that
engage people, making learning a real adventure. Learn more at
www.cstl.org.
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SOURCE Fathom