Fathom dedicates July Dominican Republic voyage to STEM for students and teachers

Seatlle, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Fathom, the pioneer insocial impact travel and Carnival Corporation’s (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) 10th andnewest brand, today announced it is tailoring Fathom’s July 17 DominicanRepublic voyage to the exploration and study of Science, Technology,Engineering and Math (STEM). Fathom is committed to increasing interest inthese topics to help build confidence among children and young adults to pursueand succeed in STEM studies. The brand will also host this year’s highlyanticipated Clean Tech Competition, a unique worldwide research and designchallenge for pre-college youth.

Presenting an ideal venue for learning, the seven-daycharter sailing will equip educators of all grades, as well as staff members ofcolleges specializing in teacher education, with the tools they need to changethe course of the future and highlight the importance of STEM in theircurriculums. The voyage will also provide a stimulating environment forschool-aged travelers to unleash and pursue their interest in STEM outside of atraditional classroom setting.

Renowned Scientist and Educator Collaboratingon Programming

For the STEM-focused voyage, Fathom is working alongsidescientist and educator Ray Ann Havasy, Ph.D., Director of the Center forScience Teaching and Learning (CSTL), to develop the interactive workshops foreducators and scholastic sessions for school-aged travelers. Dr. Havasy hasdedicated her life to educating youth about the wonders of science and how toapply scientific knowledge. Her own career demonstrates how STEM expertise canbe applied in fascinating ways. Early in her career when Dr. Havasy worked forthe Dinosaur Society, she served as advisor to Steven Spielberg inthe making of Jurassic Park. Following filming, Spielberg donatedthe dinosaurs and props to the Society and Dr. Havasy created an internationaltraveling exhibit called "The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park."

"It is so exciting that educators will learn while onboard and then teach other educators in the Dominican Republic aboutSTEM," said Havasy. "It is a great opportunity for them and we are sodelighted to be able to pilot this unique program with Fathom."

According to Dr. Havasy, practical hands-on activities andengaging, interactive learning environments are imperative to successfullyinspiring interest in STEM learning. The programs she is developing for theFathom sailing will emphasize those principles and will feature the following:

Project based learning Hands-on science activity ideas and demonstrations Dinosaurs Weather STEM questioning techniques Earth science Endangered speciesThis first-of-its-kind STEM cruise will host the Clean TechCompetition, which focuses on the scientific understanding of real-world issuesand the integration of environmentally responsible energy sources. Talentedstudents from around the world gather once a year to showcase their creativesolutions based on an issue grounded in core technological competency areas andfocuses on the next great engineering challenges. The competition is designedto foster a deeper understanding of STEM-related concepts, recognizeoutstanding talent, and prepare the next generation of globally competitiveinnovators. This year’s challenge focuses on developing a meaningful solutionto help "Make an Impact" by offsetting humans’ negative effects onthe planet. The winning team will receive an award of $10,000.

Not only will the winning team earn a monetary prize butthey will also be able to develop an ongoing relationship with a professor whowill serve as a long-time mentor and assist them in furthering their work andeducation.

"We are honored to host the first ever STEM sailingand be a part of such a highly respected international competition led by ourworld’s young scientists, engineers and innovators," said TaraRussell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation."We are eager to see their world-changing ideas, while giving likemindededucators and students an opportunity to connect and make a difference in thelocal communities of the Dominican Republic."

STEM Activities Augmented by Social ImpactExperiences

As with other social impact trips to the DominicanRepublic, Fathom’s on-ground activities will include exchanges between U.S. andDominican teachers to help them integrate more STEM curriculum into theirschools. In addition to this aspect of the cruise, all Fathom travelers willhave the opportunity to work alongside Fathom’s Dominican partners andcommunities to learn, share and give back in a hands-on way.

Fathom offers a broad range of authentic impact activities– focusing on education, environment, and economic development. The brand hasdeveloped close partnerships with organizations with deep roots in the DominicanRepublic so the activities travelers participate in will have an immediateand lasting impact, tailored specifically to what each community needs most.Fathom travelers can participate in a wide range of exciting impact activitiesboth onboard and on-ground, while exchanging cultures and customs withDominican families. Specific impact activities include building water filtersfor Dominican homes; helping a women’s cooperative produce artisan chocolates;improving homes and common areas in impoverished communities; assisting artsand crafts entrepreneurs; participating in community English-language retentionactivities; and supporting reforestation efforts.

Fathom’s STEM sailing is a first of its kind in whicheducators can learn, share and motivate each other – and continuing theireducation credentials and supporting talented pre-college youth from around theworld. They may do all this while collectively impacting the lives of thousandsof Dominicans through organized social impact activities. Prices for theseven-day STEM trip to the Dominican Republic start at $1,265 perperson, excluding taxes, fees and port expenses and including all meals on theship, onboard social impact immersion experiences, three on-shore social impactactivities and related supplies. To secure a spot on the STEM sailing, a fullyrefundable 50 percent per person deposit is required for all cabin categoriesand occupancy levels. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Toreserve a spot on future sailings, travelers may call 1-855-932-8466 or workwith a travel professional. Learn more at www.Fathom.org.

About Fathom

Fathomis a different kind of cruise that combines one’s love of travel with thedesire to make a difference in the world. It is a new category of travel. Partof the Carnival Corporation (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) family, Fathom offersconsumers authentic, meaningful travel experiences to enrich the life of thetraveler and work alongside locals as they tackle community needs. Fathom isunique in that it leverages Carnival Corporation’s expertise and scale for aone-of-a-kind business model to create long-term collaboration with its partnercountries, allowing for sustained social impact and lasting development. Fathomwill serve the sizable and growing market of potential social impact travelconsumers – approximately one million North Americans – in addition to globaltravelers already pursuing service-oriented travel experiences worldwide.

Sailing aboard the MV Adonia, a 704-passenger vesselredeployed from Carnival Corporation’s P&O Cruises (UK), Fathom willmobilize, educate and equip travelers on every trip allowing for thousands ofimpact activity days per week – and tens of thousands of travelers a year tocommunities of promise, providing unprecedented scale for impact.

For more information about Fathom or to book a voyage,contact your Travel Professional, call Fathom toll-free at 1-855-932-8466 orvisit www.Fathom.org.

About The Center for Science Teaching andLearning

TheCenter for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) has a mission to encourage STEMlearning and literacy in everyone. CSTL is a 501(C3) nonprofit organizationthat is operated by a passionate, intelligent, and highly qualified staff thatincludes scientists, certified teachers, and former school administrators.These professionals are dedicated to creating STEM programs that engage people,making learning a real adventure. Learn more at www.cstl.org.

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SOURCE Fathom