A new nonprofit has been formed to inspire Boothbay region and Midcoastresidents and visitors to strengthen themselves and their community through the enjoyment of the sea.

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) will provide a community education center that offers affordable access to waterfront activities for youth, adults and summer visitors, through sailing, boating and science programs and experiential learning activities not typically provided by other regional organizations.

“With the help of this extraordinary group of board members and advisers, we have developed an exciting and viable plan to grow this organization and the programs it can offer the community over the next five to 10 years,” said Pauline Dion, former Chairman of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Junior Sailing and Tennis Program, and former director of the Junior Program Foundation.

“We hope to be a resource for area businesses and no-profits that have worthy skills and assets to share, and for local and regional students and schools who would benefit from access to those skills and assets,” Dion said.

The organization has come together quickly, following several community meetings seeking input regarding waterfront recreation and education.  The BSSC Board of Directors comprises community members representing a wide range of skills, experiences and interests. They include: Dr. Nicole Poulton, Research Scientist at the Center for Blue Biotechnology at Bigelow Laboratory; Eric Graves, President of Boothbay Harbor Shipyard; former Managing Director of Ocean Classroom Foundation Susan Hodder; Ed Roberts, Director of Marketing at Hodgdon Yachts; Attorney and C.P.A. Scott Adams; and founders Dr. Charles (Chuck) Koch, avid sailor, retired physician and businessman; and Dion, who is also a nurse and educator.

Advisory board members include more than a dozen local scientists, bankers, business owners, educators and community leaders; all actively involved members of Midcoast region communities who have committed to donating their time and talent to launching the Boothbay Sea and Science Center.

A primary goal of the center is to enrich the existing science and engineering curriculum at local public schools and enhance learning opportunities for students by providing free access to STEM-focused experiential education activities and programs, funded by grants and individual donations.  Funding is being sought for curriculum-enhancing experiential programs during the school year.  

The newly-formed center is seeking funding from a variety of sources: private donors, foundations, and corporations offering products or services in-kind. Incorporated in Maine in June 2012, the nonprofit 501(c) (3) application, submitted October 1, 2012 is pending approval. BSSC is now accepting donations of equipment and supplies, as well as financial contributions. Any donation(s) made prior to the final 501(c) (3) approval will be eligible as tax free retroactive to the date of incorporation. More information, including a detailed wish list, can be obtained on their new website at www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org/.

Summer programs

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center is preparing to roll out a small number of pilot programs in its first year, serving underserved groups and providing unique opportunities not typically provided by other regional organizations. Programs include a keelboat sailing program for preteens and teenagers as well as an introduction to sailing program for children ages 5-7.

Scholarships may be available to qualified families for the summer programs, so that financial means are not a barrier to those who seek to learn to operate or build a boat; conduct a science experiment; protect our fragile ecosensitive coastal environment; or preserve our working maritime heritage.

BSSC is proud to announce its first community science education program about the impact of marine debris in the ocean.

On June 27, 28 and 29 at the Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay, The Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, a nonprofit whose mission is to find and remove marine debris from the surface to the seafloor will present a series of dockside programs.

Based aboard the American Promise, a 60-foot sailing research vessel, the Rozalia Project uses state of the art trash hunting technology and two remotely operated vehicles. The program is free and open to the public. For a complete schedule of demonstrations and participatory events, visit the BSSC website.

Experiential education

BSSC will provide a welcoming and thrilling environment in which to learn. This experiential learning model allows students to truly test themselves as they venture outside of their comfort zones under the guidance of experienced mentors, and to feel empowered when they succeed.

According to BSSC Director Poulton, “Learning is enhanced when students can truly experience the subject, rather than just reading about it in a book. Our goal is to provide hands-on learning experiences that engage youth and enhance career opportunities.

“Through collaboration with area schools and teachers, it is our hope that students will be inspired to pursue science-based professions, become environmental stewards and socially responsible individuals who will go on to further study and pursue careers here in Maine,” Poulton said.

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center will open windows onto career opportunities in the fields of Marine Science, Maritime Engineering, and Environmental Studies, to name a few, by leveraging the region’s copious business and nonprofit assets.

Through partnerships with organizations such as Bigelow Laboratories, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Department of Marine Resources, programs that enhance and support the public school curricula will be offered to students at all grade levels.

In addition, BSSC hopes to encourage the preservation of our maritime heritage by teaching traditional skills and promoting multiple aspects of the working waterfront through partnerships with area fishermen, shipyards and marinas including (but not limited to) the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, Hodgdon Yachts and Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay, and Boothbay Region Boatyard in Southport.

“We are so very fortunate to have extraordinary intellectual riches on this peninsula as well as an historic maritime heritage in the Midcoast Maine region,” said Roberts, who is also Director of Marketing for Hodgdon Yachts. “It’s BSSC’s mission to forge relationships and collaborations that embrace those assets and share them amongst all members of the community, especially the youth, for the betterment of our collective future.”

According to co-founder Koch, “We believe that everyone deserves a chance to experience and enjoy the water, regardless of financial means or physical proximity to a harbor, and that increasing these opportunities for more citizens will strengthen our community.”

For more information about the Boothbay Sea and Science Center, please go to www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org, or inquire via email at info@boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org. Be sure to like BSSC on Facebook, too.