Established in 2000 by Bradford N. Swett, a passionate sailor, CISF is a nonprofit marine education organization that uses boating and experiential learning as platforms for positive youth development. Our programs build confidence, provide teamwork and leadership opportunities, and establish strong connections to the ocean and our environment.

We believe that ocean health and human health are fundamentally linked. Through our programs, we strive to create generations of informed marine and environmental stewards through education, hands-on experiences, and personal impact awareness.

Providing affordable access to the coastal environment is also a guiding principle at CISF. We are committed to continued program growth with a focus on partnering with like-minded organizations and schools that serve marginalized and diverse groups, communities, and populations. Through these partnerships, CISF offers outreach programming that engage middle and high-school aged youth with coastal access and opportunities they may not otherwise have. All of CISF’s programs are free or subsidized to make them accessible.

Our Programs

More than 1,500 youth participate in CISF programs annually. CISF’s programs are rooted in the belief that all paths lead to the ocean. Our goal is to create positive experiences in nature, whether that means climbing a tree, sailing a boat, counting invasive species in the local marsh, or digging in the garden. CISF delivers STEAM programming (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) that couples experiential learning with the intentional teaching of social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. Giving kids time off from technology to explore, learn, create, and interact with nature is a critical component of mental health and well-being.

CISF educators support the local Jamestown schools, teachers, and students by providing hands-on projects that align with curriculum. Our partnership with the Jamestown Schools is strong and time-tested, and provided at no cost to the school or student families.

CISF after-school and home-school programs, field trips and summer camps are the cornerstone of our work that gets participants outside and into nature. We provide programming 11 months of the year from our waterfront headquarters at Fort Getty, a town-owned park in Jamestown, RI. CISF operates from a three-season tent and a large trailer with classroom space for the colder months. We are currently working towards building a permanent, year-round “campus” at Fort Getty to provide coastal education, access, and opportunities to even more people from the island and around the State.