insights
Capt. Arthur Sulzer on Maritime Education
MarineNews spoke with Captain Arthur H. Sulzer USN (ret.), professional mariner and maritime educator, about the emergence of K-12 maritime charter schools. Captain Sulzer is a graduate of NY Maritime College and holds a Masters in Management from SUNY Maritime, an MBA Finance from Hofstra University and is completing his Ed D at University of Pennsylvania with a focus on primary and secondary maritime education. Sulzer completed 30 years of active and reserve service in the Navy's Merchant Marine Reserve Program. He also runs a marine consulting and surveying firm in Philadelphia that charters barges and marine construction equipment. Sulzer can be contacted at Sulzmarine@aol.com. What is your role in spearheading the national initiative to promote K-12 maritime education? AS: I am the chairman of the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) Maritime Education, Training and Employment Committee. My group is tasked with promoting maritime awareness through education at the K-12 level and postsecondary school level. I am a second generation mariner. My father was a marine engineer and my mother was a teacher. So I guess I had the right DNA from the start. My first job after graduating from NY Maritime College was as an assistant dean of students. I then went to sea as a deck and engine officer and continued to be involved in teaching during my time off. My teaching involvement grew over time to include developing courses and training programs for the Navy, MARAD, MEBA and various maritime academies. One of my most memorable assignments was establishing the Department of Naval Science for the Navy at Great Lakes Maritime Academy. I enjoy the students going to sea and believe that our industry offers a great career and friendships. What's not to like about that? In 2003 I had the opportunity, with several others, to open a charter middle and high school in Philadelphia. Like most of our large urban cities, Philadelphia struggles with a less than 60% graduation rate. In today's world this is unacceptable and a national disgrace. Our school, Maritime Academy Charter High School, opened with 128 5th and 6th graders. Since that time we have grown and prospered to include grades five through 12 with 800 students and a waiting list. How was the SOCP formed and who is involved? The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) (www.socp.us) started in 1993 as an outgrowth of a Maritime Administration (MARAD) workshop. At the workshop the idea for an industry government cooperative was conceived. At that time there was no one organization focusing on the human element of the maritime
March 2009
The Front door of the Maritime Academy Charter School in Philedelphia
10 MN