Mystic Aquarium has signed a three-year partnership with Electric Boat, the General Dynamics business unit that builds submarines forty minutes down the road in Groton. The aquarium calls it one of the most significant corporate alliances in its history.
It took 15 months to negotiate.
What it funds
The money comes through the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program, a federal effort to strengthen the workforce that builds and maintains submarines. It is aimed at STEM education, workforce development and recruitment, and conservation across Connecticut.
The specifics:
- A new interactive exhibit launching in 2026, with mechanical and electronic interactives on the main gallery floor.
- An internship program called Electric Boat Fellows and Scholars: three college interns and six high school interns working in the aquarium’s education and conservation department. They help build summer camps, outreach programs and public events, and they design and present a tabletop display on submarine manufacturing.
- A Career Expo during Manufacturing Month in October, on submarine manufacturing in Connecticut.
- Electric Boat speakers at three aquarium education events: Women in Science, World Oceans Day and the Career Expo.
Why a submarine builder is at an aquarium
The pairing looks odd for about ten seconds. Then you notice that Electric Boat and Mystic Aquarium need the same kid.
Both need young people in southeastern Connecticut who are comfortable with water, pressure, machinery and marine systems, and who can be persuaded that a technical career is interesting. The aquarium gets several hundred thousand visitors a year, many of them school-age, and it already runs the education infrastructure. Electric Boat has jobs and no equivalent front door to a fourteen-year-old.
“This partnership reflects the power of aligning industry, education, and community to inspire the next generation of skilled talent. By introducing young minds to marine science and the technologies behind submarine manufacturing, we’re not just expanding awareness, we’re opening doors to meaningful careers that strengthen our national security.”
Erica Logan, workforce director, Navy Maritime Industrial Base Program
“After 15 months of thoughtful negotiation and strategic planning, we can’t wait to hit the ground running with this new partnership. This collaboration with Electric Boat represents a pivotal moment, not just for our mission, but for the future of the STEM workforce and global conservation efforts.”
Tina Couch, chief advancement officer, Mystic Aquarium
What is not disclosed
Neither organization has put a dollar figure on the partnership, and no projection has been given for how many students the programs will reach beyond the nine named internships.
The nine is worth holding onto anyway. Nine paid positions inside a working education department, developing programs that go out to the public, is a more concrete thing than most corporate education partnerships produce.
Source: Mystic Aquarium.
Quick answers
- Who is Mystic Aquarium partnering with?
Electric Boat, the General Dynamics business unit that builds submarines in Groton, forty minutes away. The three-year partnership took 15 months to negotiate, and the aquarium calls it one of the most significant corporate alliances in its history.
- Where does the money come from?
The Navy's Maritime Industrial Base Program, a federal effort to strengthen the workforce that builds and maintains submarines. It is aimed at STEM education, workforce development and recruitment, and conservation across Connecticut.
- What does the partnership fund?
A new interactive exhibit launching in 2026 with mechanical and electronic interactives on the main gallery floor; an internship program called Electric Boat Fellows and Scholars with three college and six high school interns in the education and conservation department; a Career Expo during Manufacturing Month in October; and Electric Boat speakers at aquarium events.
