On Nov. 22 the ORCA program officially launched their brand new boat. The 36-foot vessel was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and was custom designed to meet the exact needs of the ORCA program.  The Director of ORCA, Ardi Kveven, is very excited what this boat will provide for the ORCA program, “The boat provides a much more flexible platform for oceanographic research for our students. It was custom designed to support our ongoing State of Possession Sound research, a project conducted by ORCA students for the last 10 years.” ORCA is an early college academy for high school students, who can earn up to two years of college credit while completing their high school education. Most students graduate with an associate’s degree in addition to a high school diploma.