Football Brings U.S. Coast Guard Academy And New London Schools Together

The United States Coast Guard Academy and the City of New London are celebrating a relationship that has flourished for more than 100 years. On Saturday, October 5, the federal service academy and its hometown community are partnering to host students from New London Public Schools and their families at a Coast Guard Academy Bears football game at Cadet Memorial Field. 

The game will kick off at 1:30 p.m., and pay tribute to the city’s and the Academy’s rich history. The city’s hometown college football team will be showcased and the Coast Guard Academy Bears hope to set a new home attendance record as they battle the Western New England University Golden Bears.

“This event is another example of the great partnership shared between the City of New London and the Coast Guard Academy,” said Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio. “The City of New London is committed to strengthening our community partnerships and the City of New London has no greater partner than the United States Coast Guard.”  

As part of the “Celebrate New London” festivities on Saturday, October 5, scholastic honors achieved by New London High School students will be recognized throughout the game. In addition, New London’s Steve Elci & Friends will make a special appearance at halftime to perform their signature production “Crayons In A Box.” Complimentary football tickets, regularly a $10 ticket, will be provided to New London Public Schools’ students and their families, made possible by sponsors and advertisers.  

“As a federal service academy, one of our goals is to keep this institution nationally prominent and locally relevant,” said Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz, Academy Superintendent. “Staying relevant to the people and city of New London and maintaining a strong partnership is very important to us. This is the city our cadets call “home” for four years, and they are all committed to local and community service. So, I’m particularly pleased to celebrate New London and the rich history we share.”

With a population of more than 27,000, New London offers a unique range of cultural, historical, recreational and educational amenities that make it a great place to live and work. Among its borders visitors will find not only a concentration of historic places and districts, but also an eclectic and diverse community. 

Initially, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy was a shipboard operation until 1890 when the first land-based campus was established in Curtis Bay, Maryland. Then, in 1910, the academy moved to the Revolutionary War fort and Army post at Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut.  The modern academy was born in 1915 with the merger of the Life Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service. In 1932, the citizens of New London donated much of the land that comprises the present site to the academy. 

The beginning of this school year brings the opening of the city’s third magnet school, the Nathan Hale Magnet Elementary School for Performing and Visual Arts. Nathan Hale joins the Winthrop Elementary Magnet School and the Science & Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut in the city’s transition to an all magnet school district. The school district is looking forward to continuing its already strong relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

“In my forty years of working in public education, I have rarely seen an institution of higher education be as positive and proactive in trying to build a relationship with a public school system than the U.S. Coast Guard has been,” said Nicholas A. Fischer, superintendent of New London Public Schools.

From dual language, performing and visual arts, to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, New London’s magnet program offerings enable all learners to be successful by allowing them to explore paths from an early age.

Students enrolled in magnet school programming will still receive a strong core education, as the school district shifts to the Common Core State Standards – a set of writing, reading, speaking and listening requirements for students from kindergarten to grade 12. New London Public Schools’ focus remains on improving the quality of education for all students. 

Growth to the school district will come with the continued success of our existing partnerships, like the partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as the formation of new relationships with local and surrounding institutions of learning, organizations and businesses. These unique opportunities enhance learning outside of the classroom where students can apply their knowledge and see results.

A press release from the city of New London