This program teams a class and its teacher with an adopted ship's captain during the course of a school year. Throughout the year, a class corresponds with an adopted ship's captain and crew every four to six weeks about a variety of maritime questions. In the exchange of information, students have the opportunity to ask questions about how a ship's captain and crew use math, science, maps and charts, and geography in transporting people and cargo. At the end of the year, classes have packages of information which contain a variety of items including photographs, maritime maps and charts, weather information, sea life information, etc. from the places the ship has traveled.

The goal of this program is to introduce teachers and students in grades 5 - 8 to the people, vessels, and activities of the American Merchant Marine, and to foster an interest in geography, history, transportation, trade, science, math, and English.

The Adopt-A-Ship Program is an educational effort of The Propeller Club of the United States that has been ongoing since 1936. It is an international association of the maritime industry with over 10,000 members. Through this program, more than two hundred ships are adopted annually by classrooms.