The first $10,000 in gifts will be matched by our Board of Trustees! All gifts will help us win matching funds from #DoMore24DE.
Please give to the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation's education mission and our Tall Ship of Delaware! Your support makes hands-on learning experiences and events accessible to Wilmington's Eastside, under-served youth across the region, and visitors from far and wide. We deliver innovative educational programs to students of all ages: on field trips, in classrooms, through public, private and volunteer programs on our ship and in the Copeland Maritime Center museum and campus. Our volunteer crew training and internship programs also transform lives and teach valuable maritime industry skills.

Your gift supports:

· Field Trips on our ship and shore: unforgettable hands-on programs with a special focus on schools for under-served children (Title 1). Students explore Delaware history, STEM concepts, teamwork, communication skills, and more!

· Classroom Programs: we visit schools and teach economic lessons about trade and scarcity, as well as Delaware's maritime Underground Railroad history.

· Community Programs: combine hands-on learning and fun on our Copeland Maritime Center campus at little or no cost thanks to donors & sponsors.

· Ship Maintenance Fund: supports annual maintenance of the wood structure, carvings, mechanical systems, safety equipment, rigging, and sails of our well-maintained ship -- and prepares us for the next sailing season!

·  Workforce Development/Job Training: includes an established internship program with our neighbor and partner, the Challenge Program. Each year, we train live-aboard deck hands and 250 volunteers who learn invaluable marine industry skills on board, in classes, and through our mentor program.

 

Please note: Funds raised from our Guest Bartender event on February 3, 2026, will be added to our total dollars raised for this Giving Day.

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation (KNF) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit volunteer-based educational organization whose hallmark is hands-on learning and educational experiences for the enrichment of all. Through school field trips, community events, classroom programs, and both public and private sails, the Foundation reaches more than 33,000 people annually on ship and shore. KNF built, owns and operates Kalmar Nyckel, The Tall Ship of Delaware, a full-scale replica of the Swedish naval ship that founded the colony of New Sweden in 1638.

One of the State’s great educational resources, launched in 1997, the Kalmar Nyckel delivers on its education mission in Delaware and by voyaging more than 2,400 nautical miles from May through October to ports on the Eastern Seaboard. The ship has professional officers and a crew of trained volunteers who bring a wide range of skills and experiences on board.

Opened in 2015 on Wilmington's East 7th Street Peninsula, the Tatiana and Gerret Copeland Maritime Center, is home to the ship as well as a museum and year-round riverfront center for hands-on learning, school field trips, public events, and private rentals for business and social events. Self-guided and private group tours of our exhibits are available. Learn more at KalmarNyckel.org or call 302.429.7447 to request a tour.