The New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to ocean-based experiential learning.
We work with schools, educators, families, and community organizations to create meaningful experiences on and off the water. Our programs use the ocean and the many ways we can explore it as a platform for learning, personal growth, connection, and discovery.
For some, the ocean is a destination.
For NESS, it's where transformation begins.
It's where a child trusts themselves for the first time. Where curiosity becomes confidence. Where science comes alive through experience. Where strangers become teammates, challenges become opportunities, and leaders discover a deeper connection to themselves, their community, and the natural world.
For 25 years, NESS has connected students of all ages and abilities with the ocean through hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, build confidence, and open new possibilities.
Because at NESS, the ocean is our classroom: the catalyst for confidence, curiosity, and connection.
Our Mission
To empower students with a love of learning and advance academic opportunities through ocean-based experiential programs. We serve schools, teachers, and families on and off the water.
The Ocean is Our Classroom: Where learning becomes an adventure, challenges become opportunities, and every experience opens the door to discovery, growth, and connection.
NESS turns the natural world into a place for hands-on learning and discovery. Through marine science, sailing, powerboating, adventure sports, and STEM, you learn by doing: asking questions, solving problems, working together, and putting new skills into practice.
Throughout the year, NESS creates opportunities for you to learn and explore through school and group experiences, homeschool programs, after-school and vacation classes, adult and family on-the-water experiences, and the NESS Mobile Classroom, taking hands-on learning on the road.
Who We Are
Learning looks different when you experience it.
NESS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to ocean-based experiential learning.
We work with schools, educators, families, and community organizations to create meaningful experiences on and off the water. Our programs use the ocean and the many ways we can explore it as a platform for learning, personal growth, connection, and discovery.
For some students, NESS is their first time sailing. For others, it’s the first time they see themselves as a scientist, leader, teammate, or someone capable of overcoming a challenge.
Whatever brings you to NESS, we want you to leave seeing new possibilities for yourselves and the world around you.
Recent Awards
NESS has received national recognition for excellence:
2026
- The Salvation Army of New London Red Shield Community Impact Award
- The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) Marine Environment Protection Award
2022
- 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, the 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 Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC)
*NESS holds the distinction of having won more US Sailing awards than any other program in the country (as of 2018).
More Than Just a Day on the Water
Your experiences at NESS can begin with a sail, a science experiment, a paddle, or a day exploring the shoreline. But what you take away is much bigger.
You leave with new questions to ask, challenges you know you can face, people you feel connected to, and a deeper understanding of your role in the world around you.
Because at NESS, we’re not just teaching you about the ocean. We’re helping you discover who you are, grow into what you’re capable of, connect with your communities, and find ways to care for the places you love.
Experiential Learning
Curiosity starts with a question.
Discovery starts with a chance to explore.
NESS provides opportunities to learn by doing, seeing, questioning, and experiencing the world around you.
Whether you’re investigating marine life, navigating a sailboat, testing a hypothesis, or exploring a new environment, you can engage with learning in ways that make ideas tangible and memorable.
DISCOVER:
- New ways to learn
- The science and stories of our ocean
- Interests and possibilities you may not have encountered before
- That asking questions can lead somewhere unexpected
Learn more
InclusiveNESS
Learning is more powerful when we do it together.
The ocean connects us: to one another, to our communities, and to a world much bigger than ourselves.
NESS brings communities together through shared experiences that build belonging, collaboration, and a sense of possibility. You learn to listen, communicate, contribute, and recognize the strengths you bring to a team.
CONNECT:
- With peers & educators
- Communities & families
- New ideas, experiences, and possibilities
Personal Growth
The moments that challenge us can also change us.
At NESS, we encourage you to step outside your comfort zone, try something new, and discover that you are capable of more than you thought.
Our educators create supportive environments where you can practice perseverance, build confidence, solve problems, and learn from both successes and setbacks.
GROW:
- Confidence & self-awareness
- Problem-solving & perseverance
- Communication & teamwork
- Leadership & independence
- Social-emotional learning
Every experience is an opportunity to say, “I can.”
Stewardship
When we discover what matters to us, we can find ways to make a difference.
NESS experiences help you discover what matters to you and recognize how your interests, strengths, and actions can contribute to something bigger. Whether you’re caring for the ocean, contributing to your community, pursuing a new interest, taking on a challenge, or imagining what comes next, you begin to see that you can make a difference in ways that are meaningful to you.
LIVE WITH PURPOSE:
- Care for the places and communities around you
- Understand how your choices and actions can make a difference
- Recognize your strengths and what you have to contribute
- Explore interests that can shape what comes next
- Find opportunities to lead, contribute, create, and make a difference
Every experience can help you discover not only what you can do, but what matters to you and how you can use your strengths with purpose.
25 Years of Opening Possibility
From 14 students to over 50,000
In 2002, founder Spike Lobdell started NESS with eight used Optimist sailboats, 14 students, and a simple idea: more students should have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the water.
What began as the SHYC Sailing Foundation grew into New England Science & Sailing Foundation, expanding from sailing into marine science, powerboating, adventure sports, and year-round experiential learning.
Today, NESS reaches thousands of students each year through programs throughout southern New England and continues to expand access to ocean-based learning.
NESS began in 2002, when Founder, Spike Lobdell, had a vision to build an inclusive sailing and education organization to benefit the community at large.
Accredited. Experienced. Always Learning.
NESS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), reflecting our commitment to high-quality educational programming, student-centered learning, and continuous improvement.
NESS earned NEASC accreditation in 2018 and remains the only school partnership program to earn accreditation.
