Sept. 30, 2026 — Northwest Oregon Works is excited to spotlight a special investment of Oregon Youth Employment Program (OYEP) funding to deepen our partnership with the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s regional education program. These funds will create opportunities for young people across Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook counties and beyond to explore maritime, STEAM, arts and other career pathways through hands-on learning and paid work experience.
While a portion have already been used for summer 2026 workshops and tours, the bulk of funds will be leveraged after the opening of Mariner’s Hall in October 2026, the museum’s new building showcasing historic vessels and housing a wide range of education resources.
The Oregon Youth Employment Program is overseen by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and is a primary source of flexible youth-support dollars for Local Workforce Development Boards across Oregon. Approximately $41,000 will support working and learning experiences, including wages for a Clatsop Works intern, a youth Artist in Residence, visits from dozens of middle and high schools to the Maritime Museum, as well as Maritime/Blue Economy career exploration trips to Tongue Point Job Corps and Clatsop Community College’s Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS). Funds will also help cover transportation, lunches and other education and wraparound supports for rural youth attending these outings—reducing barriers that can make it difficult for remote individuals and schools to participate in career-connected learning.
The Oregon Youth Employment Program is overseen by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and is a primary source of flexible youth-support dollars for Local Workforce Development Boards across Oregon. Approximately $41,000 will support working and learning experiences, including wages for a Clatsop Works intern, a youth Artist in Residence, visits from dozens of middle and high schools to the Maritime Museum, as well as Maritime/Blue Economy career exploration trips to Tongue Point Job Corps and Clatsop Community College’s Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS). Funds will also help cover transportation, lunches and other education and wraparound supports for rural youth attending these outings—reducing barriers that can make it difficult for remote individuals and schools to participate in career-connected learning.
A few of the scenes from the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Career Exploration Day in May 2026: After “catching” Dungeness Crabs (left) students measure and sex the crabs to see if they are within the bag limit with Oregon SeaGrant (left). Safety and teamwork were on deck with USCGC ELM. Student teams moved anchor chain, learned about what life on a black hull is like, and what motivated the Coast Guard representatives to join (center). An exploration of how all parts of the fish are used was the focus of the OSU Seafood Lab station. Photos courtesy of Katy Menne, CRMM Education Director.
The partnership also supports CRMM’s high school Mini Boat program in collaboration with the NW STEM Hub, giving students the opportunity to engage in hands-on projects connecting science, technology, the maritime environment and real-world learning. These funds served as a matching contribution toward a permanent 110 ft underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) tank at CRMM. The tank will support new programming for regional high school robotics teams and is being developed through a partnership between NOW, CRMM, the Hatfield Marine Science Center, NW STEM Hub and Oregon Coast STEM Hub. The project will create a lasting regional resource where students can design, build and test underwater vehicles while learning about the careers and industries that use robotics, manufacturing and mechatronics technologies.
Separate from NOW’s Maritime Sector investments, this funding partnership represents an alignment of youth and adult resources around growing need for younger workforce in our coastal blue economy and is part of NOW’s larger commitment to connecting youth to a growing network of employers, educators, mentors and career pathways for the next generation of Northwest Oregon’s workforce.
To learn more about these and other inspiring youth career efforts at Northwest Oregon Works, contact Youth Programs Manager Logan Garner, logan@nworegonworks.org.
Our thanks to Katy Menne, education director at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, for the photos used in this article. The featured photo (top) shows students gaining insights into the deckhand perspective from Shaver Transportation. In the remaining photo on this page, Capt. Dan Jordan offered an overview of why and how bar pilots do what they do.
