When entering 2020, little did we know that we were facing a 15-month closure that would test our resolve and cause us to re-evaluate everything.
Our Board and staff used this closure to (re)focus our mission on experiential education. Inspiring people to learn and to “learn to do” is the essential part of who we are. This educational mission includes the preservation of our site, the presentation of our shared cultural heritage, interactive programming for our community, and our commitment to perpetuate environmental stewardship.
You allowed us to come back and reopen this summer. Your support is making our recovery possible. In the short time since reopening, our staff has accomplished so much to restart our operations. With a refocused mission and, to borrow a phrase, a resolve to “build back better,” we strive daily to respect your faith in us.
Maritime Gloucester has been a home for experiential education for 21 years. It is a role we take seriously. We continue to invest in our campus to create new opportunities that engage our local students with the best experiential programming possible. We inspire them, challenge them, and provide them with the skills and experience necessary to navigate the 21st Century. Today your gift is critical to the future of this work and our mission.
Maritime Gloucester is unmatched in our region. It is a historic site and educational experience connecting people to our history, to our local environment, and to our shared cultural heritage. There is power in that. We see it in the inspiration we offer the visitor to our museum. We appreciate it in the wonder created by our public programming, or the memories shared at our events. And we honor it through the life-changing opportunities provided to students in our programs every day.
We almost lost that in 2020, but with your help, we will keep this important work alive. I ask you to be a part of our success today. Your gift makes it possible.
Thank you for your support.
Michael J. De Koster
Executive Director
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