Our Family Story
Many of us at ActionQuest are parents too…
My wife Jo and I learned firsthand what it actually feels like to send a child to a faraway place when our son, Joshua, boarded a plane to the British Virgin Islands. LIKE YOU, WE HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS, LOFTY GOALS, AND SOME VALID CONCERNS.
Joshua had been to the BVI for a portion of every summer since he was born, yet always with “mom and dad”. Now he was out on his own, facing the social and emotional challenges that our summer adventure camps are designed to create. Turns out he had a great time and we believe he grew greatly from his experience. He came home with lots of great stories about his adventure and his new friends from all over the world but more important was his obvious sense of accomplishment. He was proud of what he and his team had achieved and was more confident in his own abilities.
On the flip side, Jo and I gained a greater appreciation for the journey that you, as parents and guardians, also embark upon from that moment you take the plunge to enroll your child to the moment you welcome them home. We can’t do this without the trust and belief that parents put in us, yet we understand that this trust can only be earned over time. We hope that this, as well as the For Parents section, will start to answer some of those important questions we know that most parents will have as they explore whether this summer sailing camp is right for their family.
– Mike Meighan, Director
How We Got Here
Jim Stoll
How We Got Here
Jim Stoll
Shipmate at the helm
Tall Ships Regatta
Mike Meighan
As a young man, Jim Stoll developed a passion for sailing.
He turned the usually quiet summer season at his family’s marina into a thriving summer sailing camp for teenagers. In 1970, Jim expanded the concept, taking his school to the water full-time. Jim sailed the Atlantic waters aboard 156′ Te Vega and 175′ Te Quest, enrolling 86 teenagers every year in a high school program of study and travel. Twelve years later, with children of his own, Jim moved back ashore to develop his motivational adventure programs for young adults. In the mid-eighties he once again headed to the water and ActionQuest was born.
In 1995, Jim was joined by Mike Meighan. A recent oceanography and marine biology graduate, Mike dreamed of creating a truly interactive educational experience. Using the principles of ActionQuest, Mike developed Seamester—a live-aboard college-accredited semester at sea program. Seamester acquired the 88-foot school ship, S/Y Ocean Star, in 1998 and, in 2006, completed construction of a new 112-foot school ship, S/Y Argo, followed by the construction of her sister ship, S/Y Vela, in 2020.
Since Argo’s launch, she has circumnavigated the globe multiple times, and with Vela, they offer Seamester students the chance to cross oceans while furthering their educational and personal goals.
Looking to give something back to the communities that had supported ActionQuest and Seamester for so long, Jim and Mike created GoBeyond, a worldwide community service summer camp program for teenagers.
GoBeyond teams up with local, national and international organizations so students can embark on meaningful service projects around the world.
Mike sails aboard full time with the British Virgin Island ActionQuest summer programs, preferring to maintain his active role as director. Today ActionQuest, Seamester and GoBeyond adventure programs span the world and have changed the lives of thousands of teenagers.
As a young man, Jim Stoll developed a passion for sailing.
He turned the usually quiet summer season at his family’s marina into a thriving summer sailing camp for teenagers. In 1970, Jim expanded the concept, taking his school to the water full-time. Jim sailed the Atlantic waters aboard 156′ Te Vega and 175′ Te Quest, enrolling 86 teenagers every year in a high school program of study and travel. Twelve years later, with children of his own, Jim moved back ashore to develop his motivational adventure programs for young adults. In the mid-eighties he once again headed to the water and ActionQuest was born.
In 1995, Jim was joined by Mike Meighan. A recent oceanography and marine biology graduate, Mike dreamed of creating a truly interactive educational experience. Using the principles of ActionQuest, Mike developed Seamester – a live-aboard college accredited semester at sea program. Seamester acquired the 88-foot school ship, S/Y Ocean Star, in 1998 and, in 2006 completed construction of a new 112-foot school ship, S/Y Argo, followed by the construction of her sister ship, S/Y Vela, in 2020.
Since Argo’s launch she has circumnavigated the globe multiple times, and with Vela, offers Seamester students the chance to cross oceans while furthering their educational and personal goals.
Looking to give something back to the communities that had supported ActionQuest and Seamester for so long, Jim and Mike created GoBeyond, a worldwide community service summer camp program for teenagers.
GoBeyond teams up with local, national and international organizations so students can embark on meaningful service projects around the world.
Mike sails aboard full time with the British Virgin Island ActionQuest summer programs, preferring to maintain his active role as director. Today ActionQuest, Seamester and GoBeyond’s motivational camps for young adults span the world and have changed the lives of thousands of teenagers.
Mike Meighan
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Global Expeditions Group (ActionQuest, GoBeyond, & Seamester) is dedicated to the continued pursuit of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As an experiential program, we strive to create an environment that promotes personal growth and believe that this is only possible when each individual is respected and accepted for who they are.
We welcome everyone, irrespective of gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics that add to the diversity of our team. We believe it is a shared responsibility to respect others and to maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for all.
“As my fourth session of ActionQuest comes to a close, I can honestly say that these twelve weeks I have spent in your program are the biggest learning experiences of my life.”
“Thank you so much for the incredible opportunities and experiences that I have gained through AQ over the past three years. They have altered my perspectives of both myself and the world around me.”
“As a 4-year ActionQuester, I believe myself to be qualified to say you and your program rocks! I return every year because I learn so much about myself, and who I want to be. Most importantly, I learn who I want to surround myself with.”
“All we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. We sent Michael to you to show him what he could accomplish, the friends he could make and the person he could become. His experiences really changed him and we see a new, more vital teenager. ”