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The Explorer: CoastX News
MARCH 2026
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
EXPLORATION & INNOVATION
CoastX was founded and launched by entrepreneurs, ocean scientists, engineers, artists, and educators because we knew…
We must inspire the next generation of ocean innovators and entrepreneurs by providing immersive, on-ocean experiential learning programs in ocean science, engineering, art, and entrepreneurship.
CoastX programs spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence to drive change and prepare students for marine studies, successful careers in the blue economy, or whatever path they will forge with an entrepreneurial mindset. We serve middle and high school students in Southern Maine and the Seacoast of NH.
EXECUTIVE TEAM: Susan Johnson, Co-Founder/Executive Director: Ian Grant, Co-Founder/COO; Matt Scheuer, Co-Founder/Director of Science & Technology
Additional BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Kim Tosi Hamilton, Ami Everett, Diane Sanzone.
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Students Soar in CoastX's Blue Innovation &
Start-Up Sprint Program
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Empowering the Next Generation of Ocean Entrepreneurs
Students Start with StartUP Sprint — January 9–10, 2026
The program launched with a dynamic two-day Innovation Sprint led by nationally recognized innovation facilitator Erika Haskins, who has trained students at more than 50 schools across the country.
Through fast-paced, hands-on challenges, participants formed teams, identified real-world marine-related problems, generated creative solutions, and developed early-stage concepts. In just two days, students progressed from walking into the room unsure of what to expect to delivering polished presentations that clearly articulated their problem, solution, value proposition, target market, and next steps.
The experience not only strengthened their entrepreneurial thinking but also built the confidence and momentum needed to take their ideas to the next level.
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Building Out the Ideas: Six, After-School Sessions and a Lot of Work!
The Blue Innovation Program continued with most of the students for six, after-school weekly sessions from 4:00-6:30 pm that included mentors, speakers, and ocean experts.
The weekly sessions focused on understanding and developing stronger Problem Statements, Solutions, Value Proposition, Customer Discovery, Protypes, Financial modeling, and Learning how to Sell. Homework centered on the continual process of doing Customer Discovery to ensure the product/service solved the problem(s) of their customers.
From Idea to Impact: Student ideas included Harbor Hound Dog Treats, which focuses on finding ways to help reduce the invasive green crab species. SeaStrands aims to reduce local Kittery ocean plastic by designing and producing high-end jewelry. Pyrobots hopes to enable local recycling centers to convert ocean plastics into oil.
The Blue Innovation Program doesn’t stop here! Most students are choosing to advance their projects and represent CoastX in state, regional, and national student innovation competitions, gaining valuable experience and recognition."
Executive Director Susan Johnson highlighted,
“In the end, every student has learned the full ideation process and cultivated an entrepreneurial mindset—tools that will serve them well as they continue to develop their current idea and for every one of their next big ideas. We know that colleges and employers eagerly seek individuals with that skill set. ”
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Thank You: Blue Innovation
Mentors & Speakers
| | The Blue Innovation Program would not have had the impact it did without the amazing time and support of its mentors, facilitators, and speakers. Thank you to each of them for sharing their talents to help inspire & support our student entrepreneurs. Top Row: Erika Haskins (Start-Up Sprint Facilitator); Omar Hussein, Brilliant Blue Challenge (Speaker): Joel Nknounkou (Mentor); Second Row; Keele Ford, Saltwater Sunscreen (Speaker); Emily Hazelwood, Blue Latitudes (Speaker), Josh Humberston, Coastal Measures (Speaker); Third Row Laura Brown, Fox Point Oysters (Speaker); Nina Scheepers, Maine Venture Fund (Presenter); Inga Potter, Cold Current Kelp (Speaker); Fourth Row: Susan Johnson, CoastX (Mentor); Ian Grant, CoastX (Mentor); Matt Scheuer, CoastX (Mentor) | |
Summer 2026 Programs
Registration Open! Programs Dates Filling-Up
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We are excited to announce our 2026 CoastX Summer Programs!
Discovery Week: Underwater Drones (ROVs) & Marine Science is back—now even better. Due to strong demand and outstanding feedback, we are offering two, one-week sessions, featuring additional subject matter experts and an enhanced schedule designed to deepen hands-on learning and real-world exploration.
NEW in 2026: Our two-week Ocean Engineering Program. Students will design and build a range of marine technologies, deploy their projects in open water, collect real data, and analyze their findings—an immersive experience in engineering, teamwork, and ocean innovation.
Also returning by popular demand is our Blue Art Program, now with an additional week-long session. Students will explore creativity on the ocean while working with talented artists-in-residence at Wood Island Life Saving Station and the Kittery Community Center—blending marine inspiration with hands-on artistic expression.
We can’t wait to welcome students for another inspiring summer of ocean discovery, engineering, and art!
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"In Our Neighborhood"
Winter Under The Piscataqua - Nudibranch season!
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As winter descends on the Piscataqua River, sunlight diminishes and water temperatures plunge to half of what they reach in the summer. The estuary changes drastically as cold nights bring ice creeping over the shallow inlets. Blooms of phytoplankton that color our harbors deep green during the summer die back, leaving clear visibility through the water. Fish move out to deeper habitats. Crustaceans slow down. My head aches as the frigid sea flushes between my scalp and neoprene dive hood. Yet life continues below, and for some creatures such as nudibranchs, winter is their time to thrive.
Nudibranchs are sea slugs, often small, but decorated with luminous color and ornate frills to ward off predators in lieu of a shell. While neurologically simple, these animals have evolved sophisticated behavioral, cellular, and chemical adaptations to survive. Nudibranchs are the main attraction for winter diving in the Piscataqua. Divers brave the icy waters to appreciate the exquisite beauty of these cryptic creatures, and for the challenge of finding, photographing, and identifying the dozens of local species.
Nudibranchs tend to grow larger and more abundant in the Piscataqua River than in surrounding areas. I don’t know exactly why. One possibility is the abundance of their food sources here. Most nudibranchs are highly specialized predators, adapted to just one or two very specific types of prey. Some consume sponges, bryozoans, or anemones. We have one known as the “barnacle-eating nudibranch”. Many feed on hydroids, which flourish in the fast-moving, plankton-rich waters of the Piscataqua.
CONTINUE READING on the CoastX Blog Written by Matt Scheuer, CoastX Co-Founder
Left image: A red finger aeolis nudibranch (Coryphella verrucosa) feeding on tubularia hydroids in the Piscataqua. Right image: Rim-back nudibranch (Palio dubia)
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Welcome TrueGrowth AI: CoastX's Newest Corporate Sponsor
A huge THANK YOU to Geno Miller, Founder/CEO of our newest CoastX Corporate Sponsor, TrueGrowth AI.
Miller spoke about his support, "CoastX exposes kids to things most have never experienced - and that spark of curiosity can ignite a lifelong passion. In a world where screens compete for every moment of a child’s attention, CoastX pulls them away and into real adventures on the ocean. As a founder, I know firsthand that the most formative experiences aren’t taught — they’re lived. CoastX gives the next generation exactly that."
TrueGrowth AI (formerly Shtudy, Inc.) is an AI-powered hiring platform that helps companies screen and evaluate candidates faster — without sacrificing quality. At the core of TrueGrowth is an AI interviewer that conducts automated voice and video screening interviews and delivers structured, scored candidate reports — so hiring teams can focus their time on the people who actually matter, while every applicant gets a respectful, consistent experience.
Built for organizations that hire at scale, TrueGrowth reduces time-to-hire, eliminates bottlenecks in the screening process, and brings consistency to early-stage candidate evaluation. Whether you're filling five roles or five hundred, TrueGrowth makes the process smarter, faster, and more human where it counts.
Learn more at: TrueGrowth AI
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New CoastX Program Team Members:
Jenna Ehnot & Jiff Cornwell
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CoastX is thrilled to welcome Jenna Ehnot as CoastX's Associate Director of Science & Technology.
Jenna is a young ocean engineer focused on marine robotics from seafloor mapping and exploration. She brings seven years of experience in robotics and a passion for community education to the CoastX team.
Jenna graduated with her Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in December of 2025, working primarily with Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.
In the summer of 2025, Jenna joined CoastX on the water for a few days as a subject matter expert, and is excited to be back for more this year!
See Jenna's full Bio here
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CoastX is thrilled to welcome Jiff Cornwell as CoastX's Director, Blue Art Program.
Artist-Educator Jiff Cornwell has been teaching classes and workshops on the NH Seacoast, Western Mass, and Guatemala in a myriad of settings, including Alternative Schools for teens, Adult Education, Art Schools, International Travel Programs, as well as Vocational and NGO programs in Guatemala.
She is a firm believer in the power of imagery, creative energy, and art exploration to offer paths to deep insight and positive change for all who engage in art making.
See Jiff's full Bio here
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Looking for Additional Experienced
Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Operators
CONTACT US
| | Thank You to Our Corporate Sponsors & Partners | | We’re incredibly honored by the enthusiastic response to our first summer of on-water programs! Thank you for your support—it’s deeply affirming to see our vision resonate so strongly with so many parents and their middle and high school students-- and our corporate sponsors and partners. | | |
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Thank you for your interest in CoastX. We would enjoy sharing more about what we do, answering questions on our programs, and keeping you updated on upcoming programs and dates. Let us know if you would like to partner with CoastX.
info@CoastX.org
PO Box 244
Kittery Point, ME 03905
CoastX is an IRS-determined non-profit 501(C)(3), so your donations are tax deductible. EIN number is 99-2674132
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