Sailing through History: NWN Carousel’s Virtual Sea-Lab Revolution

During his tour of Cisco’s PENN1 smart building, Andrew Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer for NWN Carousel–an integrated cloud communications service provider and Cisco partner–had a lightbulb moment. What if the Cisco Webex “all-in-one” devices used throughout Cisco’s reimagined New York office were used for a different type of collaboration?

Engaged in a project to bring the iconic Whydah Pirate Museum experience to children and teens at Boston’s Franciscan Children’s inpatient behavioral unit, Gilman found inspiration—and possibility— as he explored PENN1.

The program aimed to provide young patients with an immersive virtual experience of the ongoing discoveries at the Whydah Sea-Lab and Learning Center, where archaeologists–led by world-renowned explorer Barry Clifford–were excavating treasures from the 1717 Whydah, the world’s first authenticated pirate wreck. The ship was taken down during a violent storm off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, more than 300 years ago.

Already knee-deep in the Sea-Lab project, Gilman’s revelation at PENN1 fueled the incorporation of Cisco’s easy-to-use Webex technology to create a truly unique virtual experience. The NWN Carousel team collaborated with the IT teams at the hospital and the museum to design and execute this innovative solution.

“One of the challenges we were having was putting together something that drove a seamless engagement and didn’t let the technology get in the way of the researchers and the educators, as well as the team administering for the kids.”
—Andrew Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer for NWN Carousel

Over five weeks, young patients at Franciscan Children’s Hospital engaged in bi-weekly remote learning sessions using Webex technology. At the museum, a Webex Room Kit Pro PTZ 4K Integrator Bundle and a TMP-200 Telemedicine Cart captured the excitement of ongoing archaeological discoveries and pirate legends. Simultaneously, five Webex Desk Minis were delivered to children and teens at the hospital, providing a virtual window into an experience that, until now, had been exclusively in-person.

Utilizing a telemedicine cart for the Webex Room Kit Pro, the Whydah Pirate Museum team was able to virtually take the children from room to room at the museum—sometimes even providing them with an up-close view of the pirate treasures uncovered by Clifford’s team. Giving the kids and teens a peek into the life and history of the Whydah pirates, the museum team and eager students would discuss the history of the area, the pirate’s code of ethics, life at sea in the 1700s, and more.

“It’s a chance to bring history to life for young people in a challenging situation,” said Gilman.

“We were excited to have the opportunity for kids in our inpatient mental health units to participate in a virtual Pirate Lab. Being able to watch as scientists discover archeological treasures in real-time was very interesting and meaningful for them. Our deepest thanks to the Whydah Pirate Museum and NWN Carousel for making this possible.”
—Dr. Ralph Buonopane, Director of Franciscan Children’s Acute Mental Health Programs

“We’d like to thank NWN Carousel and the clinicians and caregivers at Franciscan Children’s for the opportunity to share our work with young people who otherwise may not be able to visit our museum. The children got to witness live, and in real-time, major archeological discoveries that have been buried in the sand for centuries.”
—Barry Clifford, World-renowned explorer

In addition to providing crucial technical expertise, NWN Carousel supported the initiative by lending Webex Video Units and accounts to both the Whydah Museum and the hospital, offering a comprehensive management service that covered initial setup, configuration, equipment training, and ongoing support throughout the program.

Now that the Whydah Virtual Sea-Lab has concluded, NWN Carousel is eager to continue its partnership with Cisco, looking to extend similar virtual experiences to hospitals across the country.