[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_custom_heading text=”About NESS” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”sky” align=”align_left” border_width=”2″ el_width=”20″][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) offers a unique education model that empowers students with leadership, teamwork, confidence, and problem-solving skills to ensure academic success. NESS is the first, and only, program of its kind to be accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Our STEM-based curriculum includes using marine science, sailing, power boating, and adventure sports as learning platforms. Our goal is to advance academic opportunities for K-12 students of all backgrounds in both urban and suburban markets. We hope you will play a role in helping us continue this important educational mission—in person, online, or on the water![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]
MISSION:
To empower students with a love of learning through ocean based experiential programs that serve schools, teachers, and families.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]
CORE VALUES:
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” color=”sky” spacing=”5″ gap=”5″ c_icon=”triangle” active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Inclusiveness” tab_id=”1591210883198-e7c57a45-8ff5″][vc_column_text]NESS opens doors for on-the-water learning for all students regardless of ability or financial need.
Ways NESS practices inclusiveness:
Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Experiential Learning” tab_id=”1591210883213-e07d521b-10fa”][vc_column_text]NESS actively engages students through experiential learning by doing, seeing, and feeling firsthand.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50_c6QQobk” el_width=”70″ align=”center”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Personal Growth” tab_id=”1591211147190-122830b9-88ae”][vc_column_text]NESS takes students out of their comfort zones for personal discovery and empowerment.
NESS’s experiential learning programs are designed to deliberately build students’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and promote the growth of learning mindsets. This intentionality results in programs that increase students’ confidence, perseverance, self-control, teamwork, and leadership skills, while also building connections between students, their communities, and a sustainable natural environment.
We know from research that those embedded SEL elements are factors in NESS students’ personal growth. A 2019 study of NESS’s New London, CT program, conducted by Goodman Research Group, found that 96% of students sampled believed that they could do better in school, 93% felt more a part of their class, and 89% described themselves as more interested in what they study in science. The study also suggests that there is ample evidence that SEL factors directly correlate to academic achievement.
A 2018-2019 independent evaluation of NESS’s New London, CT program found that Hispanic/Latinx and Black students had even more significant gains in non-cognitive skills through participation in NESS. NESS participants from underrepresented minority (URM) groups were statistically significantly more likely to show gains in teamwork, academic engagement, and self-control than URM comparison students.
60% of URMs in NESS showed improvement in teamwork, compared to 17% of URM comparison students
56% of URMs in NESS showed improvement in academic engagement, compared to 23% of URM comparison students
48% of URMs in NESS showed improvement in self-control, compared to 15% of URM comparison students.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Stewardship” tab_id=”1591211213815-33599cb3-0241″][vc_column_text]NESS builds connections between students, their communities, and a sustainable natural environment.
Ways NESS practices stewardship:
Participating in the Unified Water Study
Using the Rozalia Project Marine Debris Tracker App
Co-Hosting the Recycle Regatta
Reporting Pollution in Our Community
Hosting Local Marine Debris Clean-Ups[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/upURdT5pctE” el_width=”80″ align=”center”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]
HOURS & LOCATIONS:
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” color=”sky” spacing=”5″ gap=”5″ c_icon=”triangle” active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT” tab_id=”1616700334102-39b72dcd-bcaa”][vc_column_text]72 Water Street
Stonington, CT 06378
By boat: Latitude: 41.335N Longitude: 71.906W
Open Monday through Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT” tab_id=”1616700420833-5eb5c237-fb87″][vc_column_text]Ocean Beach
98 Neptune Ave
New London, CT 06320
Hours Vary Seasonally. Contact NESS for more information.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Green Harbor Beach
Pequot Avenue
New London, CT 06320
Hours Vary Seasonally. Contact NESS for more information.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND” tab_id=”1616700452953-1aca0b0e-ef3a”][vc_column_text]Wuskenau Beach
316 Atlantic Avenue
Westerly, RI 02891
Hours Vary Seasonally. Contact NESS for more information.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]
AWARD-WINNING PROGRAMS:
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]NESS is proud to have been recognized for its accomplishments.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” color=”sky” spacing=”5″ gap=”5″ c_icon=”triangle” active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Awards & Recognition” tab_id=”1616685376529-acfa51b5-e01b”][vc_column_text]
2023
US Sailing Captain Joe Prosser Award, Excellence in Sailing Instruction
2021
Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, Spike Lobdell
2019
US Sailing Martin Luray Award, Spike Lobdell, highest honor bestowed for community sailing programs
Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Mentoring Collaborative Outstanding Mentor Champion
2018
Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Nonprofit of the Year
US Sailing Jim Kilroy Outreach and Inclusion Award
Accredited by the New England Associated of Schools & Colleges (NEASC)
*NESS was recognized in 2018 as having won more awards from US Sailing than any other program in the country.
2016
US Sailing Creative Innovations in Programming Award
US Sailing Outstanding Program Director, Mary Ann Horrigan
US Sailing Community Sailing Committee Outstanding Organizational Leader, Spike Lobdell
National Recreation Foundation Robert W. Crawford Achievement Prize and $50,000 Grant, Spike Lobdell
2015
US Sailing Outstanding Program Director, Mark Zagol
Southeastern Connecticut 40 Under Forty Award, Mistral Dodson
2013
US Sailing Outstanding Community Sailing Program
2011
One of the first five accredited US Sailing community sailing centers[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Partners & Standards” tab_id=”1685469191132-09af6b50-375e”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”13426″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]
NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
NEASC partners with schools to assess, support, and promote high quality education for all students through accreditation, professional assistance, and pursuit of best practices. NESS is the sole school partner program accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Being NEASC accredited assures that NESS:
– Strives to achieve rigorous and common standards in education
– Demonstrates substantive institutional commitment to continual improvement
– Commits to balancing the creative tensions that exist between local autonomy and public authority
– Nurtures individual creative accomplishment
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Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Social and emotional learning is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all learners acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
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OCEAN LITERACY PRINCIPLES
Ocean Literacy helps create a student’s understanding of our relationship to the ocean, instilling environmental awareness and stewardship. NESS, and our partner schools, recognize that understanding complex systems like the ocean is enhanced when learners use models and simulations and engage in first-hand experiences, both in the classroom or on the water. By incorporating Ocean Literacy Principles into our learning model, NESS also advances a student’s understanding of science.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
Next Generation Science Standards are K–12, research-based, science content standards that set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The NGSS were developed by states to improve science classroom learning experiences for all students.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row]
