Mitchell College and the New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) are delighted to announce a joint partnership that will enable both to expand their sailing and water sports offerings for the greater New London area and Mitchell College students.
The partnership will kick off with the development and operation of a top-notch sailing program at Mitchell College that will include a varsity sailing team and the launch of a robust water sports program.
Says Mitchell College President, Janet Steinmayer, “Mitchell and NESS bring tremendous strengths to this partnership. Mitchell College has a rich history in sailing and waterfront sports — many alumni have fond memories of their student experiences — while NESS is highly regarded in the field. We look forward to providing our students and athletes with a stronger connection to both recreational watersports and competitive varsity sailing. We also expect to expand the partnership to include offerings for the New London community as well.”
According to NESS President, Spike Lobdell, “This partnership comes at the right time for NESS. We have been looking for a way to continue to become more involved with the New London community. With the first part of the program, Mitchell and NESS will draw on resources from both institutions, allowing us to offer programs year-round.” The program will use Mitchell College’s boathouse, dock and six sail boats.
Says Dana Fulmer Garfield, Associate Director of Athletics at Mitchell College, “Mitchell is located on one of the top sailing venues in the Northeast. Now, we will have access to some of the top sailing staff in New England. We look forward to building a more competitive team and to reintroducing courses such as sailing and waterfront sports.”
This partnership builds on an existing joint venture in which NESS uses Mitchell’s docks and NESS boats for their newly formed varsity sailing team from New London High School and the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut. NESS currently operates year-round out of The Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School and offers educational ocean adventure programming in two New London partner locations (Ocean Beach Park, Greens Harbor Beach). NESS also works with a variety of New London non-profits such as Camp Rotary, Jennings Family Resource Center, Covenant Shelter, Drop-in Learning Center, New London Youth Affairs, and the New London Recreation Department. Their partnership with Mitchell College is an affirmation of their commitment to serve a wider audience in the New London community.
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