Our Purpose

The mission of the New Haven Harbor Foundation is to support Sound School’s maritime education and preserve New Haven Harbor’s history while nurturing environmental stewardship. We seek to connect the students and the wider community through programs that enhance Long Island Sound’s environmental quality. We do this by supporting the school’s waterfront and aquaculture operations, maintaining and expanding the school’s fleet of New Haven Sharpies and dories as well as supporting the school’s oyster production program to restore natural oyster growth in New Haven Harbor. Please Note: We have recently changed our name from the Sound School-New Haven Harbor Foundation to the New Haven Harbor Foundation. This change was made to avoid the perception that the Foundation has a direct affiliation with New Haven Public Schools. Despite our mission to support the Sound School, the Foundation is an independent organization.

Board of Directors

Board Members
Neil (Gabriel) Geist
Marc Potocsky
Joel Zackin

The Sound School was founded in 1981. history of the school before the aquaculture program. beginning with schooner.

AquaCulture Program

  In 1994, the Sound School was converted from a New Haven high school to a Regional Vocational Agriculture Center that brought in students from 20 surrounding districts. In the interests of promoting vocational education and bringing a better racial balance to the state’s urban school districts, the legislature broadened the concept of agriculture to include aquaculture. Furthermore, aquaculture was defined as everything from raising seafood to a wide range of maritime trades. In 1995, the City of New Haven purchased the building at 82 South Water Street. This same year, the program grew to include six cooperating districts, plus, the planning for the addition of fish production and an additional boat shop was in high gear. Since that time, the school has grown and thrived establishing a reputation for its innovative hands-on curriculum, its supportive tight-knit community and its ability to effectively engage students from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. In recent years, however, state and local funding has not been sufficient to meet the needs of the school’s educational model.  Sound School’s distinctive approach to education is a resource intensive program. Without adequate support from the state this unique educational model cannot be sustained.