The Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) is pleased to announce that they are the featured local nonprofit community organization for the month of December at the Boothbay Harbor branch office of the Bath Savings Institution. BSSC is honored to have been chosen by the Bank and is most appreciative to Bath Savings Institution for their overwhelming support.

The Bath Savings Bank and BSSC invite the Boothbay region and Midcoast residents to visit the Bank’s lobby not only to learn more about the Center’s community sailing and science programs but also to enjoy the Center’s display featuring one of the rowing dinghies used in their sailing program and numerous photographs of junior sailors who attended the sailing program during summer 2013. Want to win a complimentary two-hour sailing lesson for summer 2014? It’s easy to do! Just go to the “boat at the Bank,” fill out a ticket, drop it in the designated container and keep your fingers crossed that at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013, you’re the winner.

BSSC continues to actively pursue additional watercraft for its summer 2014 sailing programs. The Center is pleased to share that its fleet now includes two 23-foot Sonar fixed keel sailboats, four Turnabouts, two Optimist dinghies, three rowing dinghies and a 22-foot Eastern open cockpit tender. In preparation for next summer, these boats will undergo repairs during the 2014 winter/spring seasons. Keeping the “Community” in community sailing, the Center will soon be putting out a call for youth and adults interested in helping with repair of these boats. This hands-on opportunity and experience will be under the direction and guidance of shipwrights from local boatyards and marinas.

To learn more about how you can donate a boat, volunteer at the Center and/or participate in the 2014 winter/spring boat repair program, please contact Eric Graves, BSSC vice president and president of the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard at egraves@boothbayharborshipyard.com.

The BSSC Program Committee is hard at work developing experiential science programs for youth of all ages to be piloted during summer 2014. Working with teachers from local and Midcoast Maine schools, scientists from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science and collaborating with Rachael Miller and crew of the Rozalia Project and parents in the Boothbay Region and Midcoast Maine communities, the committee is developing hands-on ocean science programs.

According to Dr. Nicole Poulton of Bigelow Laboratory and chairman of the BSSC Science Program Committee, “Students will participate in field work that will allow them to examine and record observations of marine life, encourage them to explore the local marine environment and support them as they gain an awareness and understanding of the local Maritime history — all while having fun.”

BSSC’s vision is to provide a community sailing and science education Center that offers affordable access to waterfront activities for Boothbay region and Midcoast Maine youth, adults, and summer visitors, through sailing programs and experiential learning activities not typically provided by other regional organizations. This holiday season, BSSC‘s wish is that children and youth living in the Boothbay region and Midcoast Maine be given the opportunity to sail, learn boating safety and develop an understanding and appreciation of the delicate balance at work in the powerful ocean that surrounds us

During this special season of giving, a donation to the BSSC Scholarship Fund or purchase of a gift certificate will make it possible for a child and/or youth to participate in the Center’s sailing and/or science programs next summer. BSSC hopes that residents of these communities will join them in helping local children and youth open the doors to “endless possibilities and priceless opportunities.”

For more information about making a donation to the scholarship fund or buying a gift certificate, please visit the BSSC display at the Bath Savings Bank, or go to the Center’s website at boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org or call BSSC Board President Pauline Dion at 207-633-2012.

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center’s first newsletter will soon be ready for distribution. “Seaworthy” will be available on the BSSC website and by mail. To receive your copy, which includes updates and information about the sailing and science programs scheduled for summer 2014, visit the website at www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org and click “Contact Us” or call Pauline Dion at 207-633-2012.