For Immediate Release

December 5, 2006, Annapolis, MD: As part of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology's ongoing process of enhancing its curriculum, Westlawn is pleased to announce that discounted student membership in Mystic Seaport Museum is now available for all Westlawn students. Further, the first year of membership in Mystic Seaport is included at no cost for all Westlawn students who enrolled after January 1, 2006, and who have completed at least three lessons.

"Our affiliation with Mystic Seaport has continued to be invaluable," stated Westlawn Director, Dave Gerr. "With our office in the Seaport, we have had the opportunity to expose Westlawn students to the vast resources of the Museum where our students experience first hand the rich history of boat design and construction. You can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been, and the increased knowledge and understanding resulting form Mystic Seaport membership will make our students better yacht and small-craft designers, better boatbuilders, and better marine surveyors."

Due to the close affiliation of Westlawn and Mystic Seaport, Westlawn students will be not only receive their first year of student membership at no cost through Westlawn, but they will also be able to maintain their Mystic-Seaport student membership for two additional years at the special student-discount price of $30.00 per year.

Westlawn students will be encouraged to visit the Seaport, to make use of Mystic-Seaport's Daniel S. Gregory Ships Plans collection and the G. W. Blunt White library - see mysticseaport.org/library - as well as exploring the many historic exhibits on the Seaport's grounds and utilizing the Seaport's Museum Store. "With the further advantage of member discounts, we expect these resources to broaden our students understanding of boat design and construction," said Westlawn director Dave Gerr.

Mystic Seaport - The Museum of America and the Sea - is the nation's leading maritime museum presenting the American experience from a maritime perspective. Located along the banks of the historic Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, the Museum houses extensive collections representing the material culture of maritime America and offers educational programs from preschool to post-graduate. For more information, call (888) 973-2767 or visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Founded in 1930, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is the only nationally accredited and state certified distance-learning school of small-craft design in the United States. As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, The mission of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is threefold:

• To provide our students with the skills knowledge required to build a rewarding career in the profession of yacht and small-craft naval architecture.
• To support continued growth of the recreational and small-craft marine community through the development of well-trained, safety oriented, boat designers developing better products for the benefit of the boating public.
• To provide continuing education to marine industry professionals.

To learn more about Westlawn, please call (860) 572-7900 or visit the Westlawn website at www.westlawn.edu.