Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1538888
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E We're teaching them the skills they need to be successful in any industry. — Miranda Shinn Lift All Boats program manager both U.S. coasts as well as Japan and Singapore — relies on donations of funds and equipment. With an eye toward expansion, Lift All Boats gained official designa- tion as a nonprofit in 2025. "It will be much easier for foun- dations and individuals to make the kind of game-changing dona- tions that we need to meet student demand, funding another boat and increased staff and hopefully to rep- licate what we are doing to a second location," Conniff says. Struck by those who have over- come initial fears of the water, he says, "We could all use some of that cour- age in our own lives." Along the way, he's also picked up some teen lingo, like another phrase for cool, awesome and stylish: "It turns out if someone says you have a 'drippy fit,' they don't mean your clothes just got sprayed with the deck hose." Conniff says that the most com- mitted students remain part of the program even after finishing, includ- ing seven who have worked or are currently working on lobster boats. No matter what their career ambitions, participants pick up skills from time management to taking proper care of expensive equipment, notes Shinn, who man- ages the program. "We're teaching them the skills they need to be successful in any industry," she says. Youngsters also gain teamwork and communication skills, which Conniff says is "so important for a generation that spends so much of its time on screens." Israel, a 15-year-old student at Portland High School with dreams of becoming a computer engineer, considers lobstering "just a hobby for now." To anyone thinking of applying to Lift All Boats next year, his advice is to just give it a chance. "Even if it seems like it's going to be difficult, it's going to be really fun in the end," he says. Renee Cordes, Mainebiz deputy editor, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R The teenage crew of the Sea Smoke watches as the catch is hauled up to the Luke's Lobster buying station on Portland Pier to be weighed and counted.