EVENTS
What We Do
“Fostering inspired stewardship begins with forming a solid foundation of one’s clear and irrefutable connection to the whole.”
​
All people are sacred and miraculous; they harbor the potential to manifest truly creative personal lives, healthy families, and thriving communities, driven by a uniquely conscious and caring, self-determined engagement with the world around them.
​
This is the wholehearted philosophy behind Heart of the Storm (HOTS), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides a safe environment for youth to explore and develop their sense of self through shared boating adventures on the coast of Maine, and in the Bahamas.
​
Life has its storms, they come and they go. It can be chaotic, awe-inspiring, and profound. HOTS nurtures development of the inner identity of teens, as they navigate the turbulent waters of life, exploring the world as an ecosystem of land, sea, human community, and individual personality.
In Blue Hill, Maine, our three-, six-, and nine-day voyages take place during the summer, school vacations, and weekends. HOTS partners with boat captains, facilitators, contributors, schools, and a boundless variety of guest educators who join our expeditions. HOTS offers youth the opportunity to explore the coast and islands in their area while taking part in a curriculum that facilitates discovery and contemplation beyond their daily routines, leading to a pansophic view of themselves and the world.
​
…a marine biologist joins us for a nine day voyage and shares tales of her work; a Red Cross instructor teaches us assessment and lifesaving skills on island beach; an old salt shows us how to make beds out of reeds for our overnight stay on an uninhabited island; we gaze at the sea under a canopy of stars; we talk to locals living in remote island communities; we put on wetsuits with a certified scuba instructor and view skittering lobsters and other sea creatures underwater; we all sit together, voyaging, and talk about life’s big questions…
​
During the winter, alumni of the Maine HOTS program are further encouraged to join our expeditions with local children in the Bahamas, also volunteering at our affiliate school for children with disabilities, Every Child Counts, in Abaco, Bahamas.
​
HOTS is funded entirely by private individuals, local community organizations, and business leaders. HOTS provides full scholarships that allow, and encourage, teens from all walks of life to participate.
FAQS and Additional Information
Tuition
Full tuition for the HOTS 9 Day Sail-Island Expedition is $1500. This includes everything you will need for the voyage. Full and partial scholarships are available. Please download a copy of our scholarship application. We strive to take aboard every local teen who wants to sail with us.
Trip Itinerary
HOTS Island Sailing Expeditions includes lots of time on board sailing and having fun with new friends. Activities may include; making food together, playing music, learning to draw with charcoal, and journal writing. Hiking, learning the history of local islands, spending an over-night on an uninhabited island learning survival skills, diving for lost treasure, swimming, exploring islands, coves and beaches.
A typical 9-Day Expedition:
Days 1-3: We will learn first aid/CPR from a certified instructor. Teens will learn how to REALLY save someone’s life. Then time travel go back in time to “the way things used to be.” Walking, hiking, swimming, adventuring and joining with the community on Isle a Haut.
Days 4-6: Teens will experience an Island Survival Trek lead by a certified wilderness instructor. A sleep over on an uninhabited island and adventures yet to be known.
Days 7-9 : The last 3 days of the HOTS program include scuba diving with the potential of finding lost treasure, sailing, exploring and coming home.
Download and print forms:
Application
Medical Form
Scholarship Form
Mail to: HEART OF THE STORM
P.O. Box 1446
Blue Hill, Maine 04614
207.266.9274