We have sought feedback from our trainees on Pelican of London for many years. Testimonials show with consistency that sail training boosts confidence in young people, enhances key employability skills, such as team working and communication skills, and promotes a deeper connection with the natural environment.
The integration of ocean science activities into our sail training programme gives us the opportunity to step up the evaluation of impact based on a solid scientific foundation. The development of the Pelican of London Impact Evaluation was possible with a generous grant of the Sail Training International Research Fund 2025.
The grant enabled us to work with the leading marine social scientist Dr Pamela Buchan on the development of a Theory of Change that is aligned with the Mission, Vision and Values of Pelican of London. This Theory of Change forms the basis for new pre-voyage, post-voyage and follow-up surveys to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes for trainees.
This data obtained will support reflection within our organisation, as it can:
- highlight areas of strong delivery
- suggest where training improvements are required to deliver better outcomes
- provide a way to identify trends across voyages
- distinguish outcomes between different voyage types
Sector-wide benefits may arise when other sail training providers adopt our evaluation protocol:
- our evaluation protocol is available to the sail training community and the wider outdoor education sector (LINK)
- pooled, anonymised summaries can highlight patterns across voyage types, age groups, approaches to delivery and help the community what action provides key outcomes, in particular within the context of Ocean Literacy and Marine Citizenship
- the evaluation protocol is readily adaptable for the specific needs of organisations
Our mission to inspiring curiosity and stewardship through hands-on science contributes directly to the United Nation Ocean Decade of Science and Sustainable Development. Ocean and environmental education is one way of enhancing the sustainability of sail training.
Accrued across voyages and seasons, the impact evaluation dataset will illuminate how ocean literacy supports the development of marine identity and how these translate into marine citizenship actions.
