The Tall Ship Providence Foundation (TSPF) is a 501(c)(3) educational organization formed in August 2017 by business leaders based in Alexandria, Virginia. Our mission is to educate visitors on the role the Continental Navy played in the American Revolution using Tall Ship Providence as our anchor.
TSPF acquired Providence in 2017 and conducted a 30-month “keel to masthead” restoration, returning the ship to her authentic beginnings with a few modern conveniences. Serving as a floating classroom, guests will learn about Providence, see where sailors lived, meet Captain John Paul Jones, who will enthrall them with a sea story or two, and view a film, Providence: Dawn of the U.S. Navy, created especially for the Maritime Heritage Center. TSPF has an independent board representing a wide range of industries and an Advisory Committee of eight former US Secretaries of the Navy.
In fall of 2023, the Foundation introduced a new philanthropic initiative called the Field Trip Program. The program is a way to provide funding for under-resourced schools in low-income communities to visit Providence and experience our education programs free of charge. Through the Field Trip Program, we were able to accept over 1,500 students from Title 1 Schools in the program’s first year, and hope to increase that number to 2,000 in 2025.
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