Unique Offerings

The Marine and Nautical Science programs here at the School by the Sea are our most unique academic offerings.

Our location on Sippican Harbor and the Research & Environmental Education Focus Program provide real-world opportunities for field research. From 2000 - 2017, our students have participated in coral reef ecology field research in collaboration with the National Parks Service in the Caribbean helping to put Elkhorn coral on the endangered species list. Today, our students are taking that interest one step further. They hope to help regenerate endangered reefs by building coral fragment tree nurseries in the Bahamas and eventually "outcrop" the nurtured fragment trees into new reefs for the future.

Explore your creativity with classes and co-curriculars in robotics, marine engineering, technical design or mechanical engineering. Previous students have innovated and created all kinds of projects – ranging from complex underwater ROVs and go-karts to simple objects crafted on our 3D printers and laser cutters. Future makers will have the freedom and support they need to flourish as they develop both their ingenuity and technical skills.

Check out one young innovator's blog post about her experience in MakerLab to learn more about the impact Tabor's Engineering programming has on our students.

The Edmunds Observatory is a place to share the wonders of the universe. Whether you take Astronomy or not, the observatory is open to all at various points during the year to watch a lunar or solar eclipse, a comet streaking through the sky or whatever the universe is sending our way!

During summer and March vacations, faculty members lead trips to various points of interest across the globe. Read about our 2019 trip to Vietnam! Recently, Tabor student groups have visited Costa Rica, Denmark, Italy, Greece, China, Spain, France, Vietnam, Thailand, England, Peru, Cambodia, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, and the Dominican Republic. These trips offer opportunities for cultural exchange, research, language immersion, and service-learning. Learn more about our International Programs.

Combining sustainability, hands-on construction, and STEM learning, students can explore the worlds of permaculture, aquaculture, and hydroculture at Tabor. As part of select advanced elective courses, students have the opportunity to design and build their own aquaponic or hydroponic systems that can be used to grow vegetables in Tabor’s on-campus greenhouse. Functional hydroponics systems built by our students are used to help produce food for the local community.

There is nothing quite like the experience of stoking a wood kiln for a 36-hour firing with faculty, classmates, alumni, and local artists. The camaraderie is worth it in itself, but applying the science and effort to achieve the right balance of wood and air to reach the critical temperature, maintaining the burn, and adding just the right amount of salt to impart a truly unique glaze to the pots inside is a real education in craftsmanship. The reward is the bounty that lies inside! Read a student blog post about a past year's summer firing.

Interested students in good academic standing may plan an independent study on a specialized topic with a faculty member and submit a proposal for approval. All independent studies must have the direct academic supervision of a Tabor faculty member. Students are limited to one independent study per trimester, and with permission, the independent study may replace a sixth course. Independent studies are graded on a Pass/Fail (P/F) basis based on criteria agreed upon between the student and their faculty supervisor. Read about Charlie's study on Microplastics in local game fish.

Senior Projects allow seniors to use their last trimester at Tabor to pursue a project of their own creation. Projects include original art and music, all manner of building projects from boats to motorcycles, and internships in non-profits, architectural firms, and hospitals. The Senior Projects Committee approves the projects after a rigorous application process. At the end of the academic year, the entire Tabor community attends Senior Project presentations, a capstone event that allows the seniors to show all they have learned during the project period.

Students can take part in more than 50 unique activities at Tabor, that aren't part of the typical school day. Thanks to our TaborX (TX) experiential learning program, designed to replace the traditional Saturday school days, students engage in skill-based learning through exciting and informal passion project-style activities.