Program Overview

“The curriculum is science,
but this school is really about life,
and girls discovering the confidence
to make a difference in their world.”
— Linda Greenlaw

Coastal Studies for Girls is a new semester-long marine and environmental science school for girls. The school brings girls from around the country to the coast of Maine for 16 weeks during either the fall or spring term of their sophomore year of high school, enabling them to immerse themselves in a challenging and rewarding experience while living in a beautiful coastal landscape that serves as a natural laboratory. Students at Coastal Studies for Girls interact directly with resident scholars and guest lecturers as they pursue a rigorous marine science-based curriculum.

While environmental research and leadership are the primary focuses, CSG also provides the courses necessary for students to keep pace with their home high school’s requirements in English, history, foreign languages and mathematics. As the only residential semester science school in the country that offers a single-gender setting, CSG promotes girls’ aspirations in the sciences—a field in which research tells us that girls will excel if they are given consistent and purposeful encouragement. CSG’s strong sense of community and dedicated faculty are crucial components in nurturing students’ intellectual curiosity, confidence, leadership and self-determination.

Coastal Studies for Girls provides a secure and accepting learning environment grounded in the pursuit of excellence. CSG is much more than school—it is a profound life experience with the potential to be a life- changing event. Girls leave here empowered to make a difference at home, in school, and in their communities.