New England Science & Sailing Foundation

What New England Science & Sailing Foundation does

New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 and headquartered in Stonington, Connecticut, with additional operations in New London, Connecticut and Westerly, Rhode Island. The organization delivers ocean-based experiential learning programs for K-12 schools, youth ages 4-17, and adults/families, with over 100 proprietary lesson plans aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Ocean Literacy Principles, and CASEL SEL standards. NESS is the only school partner program accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and operates as a US Sailing recognized Community Sailing Center. Its core products include Youth Programs (summer camp, after-school, homeschool, Marine Mavens), School & Group Programs (field trips, classroom experiences, the NESS Mobile Classroom), Adult & Family Programs (community sailing, adventure sports, fishing tournaments), signature events (Recycle Regatta, Catch a Curl), and scholarship-supported access for underserved students.

NESS uses marine science, sailing, powerboating, and ocean adventure sports as experiential learning platforms, offering nationally recognized certifications including Safe Powerboat Handling and Red Cross CPR/First Aid. The organization is community-centered in its go-to-market, reaching students through direct program delivery, school partnerships, and community events. Its revenue model is diversified across program fees (camps, lessons, school programs), donations and fundraising (the 2022 Annual Benefit raised over $587,000), grants (NOAA B-WET 3-year grant, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, CFECT Women and Girls Fund, TK Foundation, Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation), and merchandise partnerships (Team One Newport, Second Serve Resale). Need-based financial aid is available, though specific program pricing is not publicly disclosed. NESS maintains a broad partnership ecosystem including AmeriCorps, the City of New London, Save the Sound, The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame, Educational Passages, NAMEPA, and American Magic. Founder Spike Lobdell led the organization as CEO from 2002 until a planned succession in June 2026, when Eric Isselhardt, PhD, became the second CEO and Lobdell transitioned to Chair-elect.

Name

New England Science & Sailing Foundation

Legal name

New England Science & Sailing Foundation

Website

https://nessf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that delivers ocean-based experiential STEM learning programs for K-12 schools, youth, and families across southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island, operating from three waterfront locations with over 100 NGSS-aligned proprietary lesson plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor and Marine Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG), Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Ocean-based education
• Experiential learning programs
• Marine science education
• Sailing instruction
• K-12 STEM curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Stonington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from summer camps, youth programs, adult/family programs, school programs, and after-school programs.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Annual benefit events and individual donations supporting scholarships and mission-driven expenses. The 2022 Annual Benefit raised over $587,000.
3. Merchandise Sales: NESS gear sold through Team One Newport (15% donation back to NESS) and Second Serve Resale (85% to NESS with promo code).
4. Grant Funding: Grants from organizations including NOAA B-WET (3-year grant), Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, CFECT Women and Girls Fund, TK Foundation, Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NESS is a nonprofit that delivers ocean-based experiential learning programs combining marine science, sailing, powerboating, and adventure sports. It serves K-12 schools through field trips, classroom experiences, and a Mobile Classroom, plus youth (ages 4-17) through summer camps, after-school programs, homeschool programs, and the Marine Mavens initiative. It also offers adult and family sailing lessons, rentals, and accessible sailing, all aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.

Product overview

New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is a nonprofit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of ocean-based experiential learning programs for students ages 4-17 and adults. The organization operates as a unified platform combining multiple program types: Youth Programs (summer camp, after-school, homeschool, Marine Mavens), School & Group Programs (field trips, classroom experiences, Mobile Classroom), Adult & Family Programs (community sailing, adventure sports, fishing), and competitive sailing teams. Programs cover marine science, sailing, powerboating, kayaking, surfing, and fishing using STEM-based curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Ocean Literacy Principles. NESS also runs signature events including the Recycle Regatta and Catch a Curl surf competition, and partners with Save the Sound for water quality monitoring. The organization serves students from all backgrounds with scholarship support and maintains multiple locations in Stonington, New London, and Westerly, Rhode Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NESS Ocean Adventure Education: Primary brand identity used on the website representing the organization's ocean-based experiential learning mission
• Marine Mavens
• Catch a Curl
• Recycle Regatta

Products and services

• Youth Programs Year-round experiential learning programs for students ages 4-17 including summer camp, homeschool programs, after-school programs, and the Marine Mavens initiative for girls ages 9-17, covering marine science, sailing, powerboating, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and snorkeling.
• School & Group Programs Standards-based educational programs for K-12 schools including field trip expeditions, classroom and travel experiences, and the NESS Mobile Classroom bringing ocean education directly to schools.
• Adult & Family Programs Community sailing lessons, adventure sports, fishing programs, and teacher professional development for adults and families.
• NESS Mobile Classroom A mobile educational unit that brings ocean science curriculum directly to schools and community locations, particularly serving the City of New London.
• Marine Mavens Year-round after-school program for girls ages 9-17 focused on building confidence, seamanship skills, and marine science knowledge through kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, powerboating, and stewardship projects.
• Sailing Lessons & Rentals As a US Sailing recognized Community Sailing Center, NESS offers sailing lessons for all skill levels from novice to advanced racer, accessible sailing programs, and sailboat rentals.
• Scholarships Financial assistance programs including the C.D. Mallory Sailing Scholarship and individual scholarships to ensure ocean education is accessible to all students regardless of financial means.
• NESS Sailing Team Competitive sailing team program for youth sailors ages 8-18 competing in regional regattas including Optimist (Opti), C420, and Laser classes.
• Catch a Curl Youth Surf Classic Annual youth surf competition held at Westerly Town Beach, featuring divisions for different age groups and including a beach cleanup component.
• Recycle Regatta Annual K-12 competition where students build model sailboats from recycled materials, learning engineering, buoyancy, and environmental stewardship principles.

Quantifiable outcome

• NESS students receive nationally recognized certifications including Safe Powerboat Handling and Red Cross CPR/First Aid

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partners with AmeriCorps members who serve as STEM Education Ambassador (SEA) AmeriCorps members, providing academic and socio-emotional support to students in NESS programs.
• The City of New LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partners with the City of New London, including powering the Mobile Classroom initiative at Ocean Beach New London Classroom.
• Save the SoundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partners with Save the Sound to collect water quality data as part of the Unified Water Study (UWS), monitoring Stonington Harbor and Alewife Cove in New London.
• The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of FamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partners with The Sailing Museum in Newport, RI to offer ten tailored learning experiences combining museum field trips with in-school NESS STEM lessons.
• Educational PassagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS co-hosts the Recycle Regatta with Educational Passages and NAMEPA, inviting K-12 students to build model sailboats from recycled materials.
• Natchaug Hospital Clinical Day Treatment SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partners with Hartford HealthCare's Natchaug Hospital clinical day treatment schools (Thames Valley, Shoreline, Green Valley) to deliver NOAA B-WET funded programs.
• NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAMEPA co-hosts the Recycle Regatta and partners on beach cleanups including International Coastal Cleanup Day.
• American MagicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESS partnered with American Magic to release Sail Locker educational resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mystic Seaport Museum: Mystic Seaport is a large maritime museum and education institution in Mystic, CT offering sailing, boatbuilding, and marine science programs. It is a larger incumbent in the same southeastern Connecticut geography with overlapping educational programming, though its core museum focus is broader than NESS's experiential learning model.

Direct peers

• SEA Education Association: SEA Education Association in Woods Hole, MA combines sail training with marine science research at the college level. Comparable to NESS in combining sailing and ocean science as an educational platform, though SEA serves older students and offers accredited programs.
• Sail Newport: Sail Newport is a Rhode Island-based community sailing and water sports center offering lessons, youth programs, and racing. It is the closest geographic and operational peer to NESS, with overlapping sailing instruction, summer camps, and adult/youth programming across southern New England.
• Coastal Studies for Girls: Coastal Studies for Girls is a Maine-based semester school focused on marine science and leadership for high-school girls. Strongly comparable to NESS's Marine Mavens girls' program in mission, target demographic, and ocean-based experiential STEM curriculum.
• Project Oceanology: Project Oceanology is a Groton, CT nonprofit providing hands-on marine and environmental science education for K-12 schools and the public. Comparable to NESS in Connecticut service area, standards-aligned curriculum, school field-trip model, and waterfront-based experiential learning.
• Community Boating Inc. Community Boating is the oldest public sailing organization in the U.S., based in Boston. Comparable to NESS as a US Sailing recognized community sailing center serving both youth and adults with scholarship-supported instruction.
• Duxbury Bay Maritime School: Duxbury Bay Maritime School is a Massachusetts nonprofit offering sailing, kayaking, and marine science education for youth and adults. Directly comparable to NESS in mission, programming mix, and community sailing center model.
• Courageous Sailing: Courageous Sailing is a Boston-based nonprofit community sailing center offering youth STEM and sailing programs. Comparable to NESS in serving urban and underserved youth through nautical experiential learning, with similar scholarship and accessibility models.
• SoundWaters: SoundWaters is a Stamford, CT-based nonprofit delivering marine science education and stewardship programs to K-12 schools and the public. It shares NESS's Connecticut footprint, school-district contract model, and use of Long Island Sound as a learning platform.

Emerging players

• Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership: Hurricane Island Center is a Maine-based nonprofit offering immersive marine science and leadership programs for teens and adults. Comparable to NESS in combining sailing/ocean adventure with STEM and leadership outcomes for youth, though operating on a more residential model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nessfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nescienceandsailing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New England Science & Sailing Foundation