Voyage Forward
Charting the future of Williams-Mystic
Finding meaning in a complex world
For nearly 50 years and for close to 1,900 individuals, an unparalleled and transformative educational experience has made a profound and enduring impact on students’ lives: Williams-Mystic.
Since 1977, Williams-Mystic has prepared generations of students to tackle complex environmental and social problems using multiple disciplines and perspectives on the world’s oceans and coasts.
By continually innovating, the program equips students to emerge as leaders across a wide range of fields.
To ensure that this opportunity remains available to future generation of students, we have embarked on an ambitious but critical journey—one that includes raising $10 million in endowment funds by April of 2027.
The program doesn't just teach important information, it gives students experiences that alter the way they see the world, and it does so with a moral clarity that is essential for the future of the planet.
Zach F19, Oberlin College
My semester at Williams-Mystic prepared me for graduate school (a masters in chemical oceanography), and for life after academia, more than any other semester of my college career.
Emily F02, Williams College
The program has served as a bridge between academic study and the pressing environmental challenges faced by indigenous communities like mine in Louisiana.
Devon F18, Williams College
Do you know of any other one-semester college program that enjoys such loyal support, and not just recent alums, but also those who went 20, 30 or 40+ years ago? I never imagined that decades later I would still be in touch with people I spent just a few months with. I am still deeply tied to the WM program, despite living on the opposite side of the continent.
Karlina F02, Earlham College
Williams-Mystic shaped my professional path and fueled my desire to foster positive change on a global scale. I am privileged to have a multidisciplinary career in fisheries management, where I work at the nexus of marine policy, ocean science, and community development. It is the kind of passion-driven, impactful career that I could only conceive of because of my time at Williams-Mystic.
Lyndsey F03, Mt. Holyoke College
Many hands pulling together
Every gift to Williams-Mystic matters. Every person who believes in this one-of-a-kind educational experience can be part of this campaign.
We encourage everyone who believes in Williams-Mystic to make a personally meaningful gift commitment to the program spanning the next five years.
Ways of giving to the Voyage Forward Endowment
Give Online
Make a gift by credit card or US bank, including recurring monthly or annual payments.
Online Pledge
Join the crew by making a five-year pledge to sustain WM.
Donor-Advised Funds
Use Williams College and its tax ID to make a gift from your DAF, and email us to allocate to WM.
Securities
Make a securities gift through Williams noting Williams-Mystic Endowment as the purpose, and email us to allocate to WM.
Qualified Charitable Distribution
Make a gift payable to Williams-Mystic, and note WM Endowment as the purpose.
Cash Wire Transfer
Make sure to list Williams-Mystic Endowment as the gift instruction and email us to allocate to WM.
Give online through Mystic Seaport Museum
Make a gift to the endowment through the Museum by selecting "Other Initiatives" in the drop-down menu.
Pledge through mystic seaport museum
Make an endowment pledge through the Museum.
Questions?
Want to learn about volunteering with other alumni for the Voyage Forward?
