MISSION

Beautiful Nation is an online education project designed to encourage young people, ages 6–18, to develop deep connections with our earth and with one another, and to become citizens without borders.

Sailing around the world is more than just an intrepid journey across oceans, it sparks a love for nature, excitement about science, and an appreciation for our planet’s diversity.

Beautiful Nation will track the voyage of sailing vessel Makulu for students who participate in programs run by educational nonprofits Reach the World and Agastya. Crewmembers aboard Makulu will use travel experiences to produce digital stories that address academic subjects such as science, math, geography and history.

Others who are interested in following the expedition are invited to join Beautiful Nation’s social network.

INSPIRATION

“I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea.” — Bernard Moitessier, French sailor

BEAUTIFUL NATION

BY THE NUMBERS...

20,000

1.6 million

1,000+

45

700+Facebook members reached (as of April 2013)

Planned port stops

Expedition days

Student followers in the United States*

Student followers in India**

* Via Reach the World** Via Agastya

CONTACT US

thebeautifulnationproject @gmail.com

Beautiful Nation will be a featured journey of reachtheworld.org

Learn more at beautifulnationproject.org

A sailing adventure for global education

BEAUTIFUL NATION

30 + 10Countries UNESCO

World Heritage Sites

OPPORTUNITIES

> Create a Hub ($10,000) Hubs are branded, mini-social networks that help companies build their online presence using Beautiful Nation’s NING platform.

> Short-term Crewmember ($10,000) Individuals can join the Beautiful Nation crew for up to two months to broadcast their expertise and connect with schools abroad. Scholarships are welcomed.

> Sponsor a Passage ($10,000) Makulu will travel to more than 45 different ports of call, crossing through three of the world’s oceans and visiting four continents. Sponsoring a passage ensures that your company’s mission and logo will be broadcast in affiliation with a particular region of the world. It is a tool to support school outreach in a particular port of call by the Beautiful Nation crew.

> Help Broadcast (any amount) Fund the production of digital content developed for Beautiful Nation’s education partners, Reach the World and Agastya.

> Give a Donation (any amount) Tax-deductible cash and in-kind donations can be made through Reach the World for necessary operating costs.

JOIN THE JOURNEY

REASONS TO GIVE

We are looking to partner with individuals and groups that are passionate about:

FUNDRAISING GOALS

Beautiful Nation is looking to raise $280,000 for its 24-month journey. Funds will support:

Operational Costs $110,000

• Boat charter, outfitting and maintenance

• Travel, including school visits

• Insurance

Production Costs $153,000

• Weekly production of content for Reach the World and Agastya

• Monthly educational webisodes

• Website management

Equipment $17,000

• Video equipment

• Computers

• Satellite service for broadcasting

Creating a global network that supports learning through innovation and technology

Increasing the ability for people to share knowledge and interact with one another on topics they care about

Championing environmental stewardship

SAILORS, EDUCATORS, ADVOCATES

Beautiful Nation is a sponsored project with Reach the World, a registered 501(c)(3), dedicated to cultivating relationships between travelers and classrooms through an online interactive global journalism program, presented in partnership with Agastya, the largest hands-on science program in the world.

We are a diverse team with over 20 years of experience in education and multimedia production. This project allows us to tell stories (one of the best ways to learn) about issues that we care about—learning in nontraditional ways, sustainable living, the importance of science and technology—from the unique vantage point of a sailboat.

Learn more about our team on the following page.

PROJECT ADVISORS

> Heather Halstead, Executive Director, Reach the World

> Ajith Basu, Chief Program Executive, Agastya

> Yngve Gustafsson, Trustee, Rotary Club, Princeton Foundation

> George Kalan, Offshore Passage Advisor

> Ellen Lovejoy, Vice President, A+E Networks

> Bonnie Monteleone, Marine Biologist, Plastic Ocean Project

> Tony Thompson, Operations Manager, World Bank

> Jeff Weiner, Director, Dangerous Media

WHO WE ARE

Tonia Lovejoy (Outreach & Development) Tonia is a Hewlett Packard Catalyst Academy Fellow and Reach the World educator. She has developed curriculum for several education organizations including Reach the World, Literacy Partners and the U.S. Peace Corps, and has managed the production of GeoGames, a National Geographic award-winning educational game. Tonia was a crewmember of the Voyage of Makulu from 2005–7 and received her captain’s license from the United States Coast Guard in 2008.

Shannon Hagen (Education Programming) Shannon is a field researcher for the state of Washington, working on protecting endangered salmon and other threatened species. In addition, she is a wilderness EMT and teaches at the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School. Shannon has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Evergreen State College, and was a Voyage of Makulu crewmember from 2006–7.

Justin Farrow (Social Media Manager) Justin is responsible for building and maintaining the Beautiful Nation Project’s social network. He is a graduate student of applied anthropology and web developer for Land Surveyors United.

MEET THE BEAUTIFUL NATION TEAM

Jessica Lee (Media Communications) Jessica currently focuses on improving human development outcomes at the World Bank. Previously she worked at POV, PBS’ award-winning series, producing educational materials and helping to secure grants from institutions like the MacArthur Foundation. Jessica has a B.A. in documentary filmmaking from UCLA and an M.A. in education policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. She was a Voyage of Makulu crewmember from 2006–7.

Masha Gvozdov (Art Director) Masha is a budding sailor and filmmaker. She has worked with and produced videos for many of today’s most recognizable artists, including Moby and Diane von Furstenberg. With her background in fine art, Masha will be our field video content producer and videographer.

WHO WE ARE