In Maine, it’s not unusual to grow up within walking distance of the working waterfront. What’s less common is having a direct connection to it, especially for people without family ties to fishing or the marine economy. Luke’s Lobster’s Lift All Boats project, launched in 2022, helps high school students break into this traditionally insular world of lobstering. The program is part summer job, part crash course in sustainability and entrepreneurship. For many, it’s a first real glimpse of what life on the water can offer.
“We were hearing from a lot of lobstermen who were having trouble finding folks to work as their sternmen and deckhands,” says Ben Conniff, co-founder of Luke’s Lobster. “At the same time, we realized there was this whole community of young people living close to the water who had no pathway into the industry.” Lift All Boats was designed to bridge that gap. Through school presentations, hands-on training, and weekly fishing excursions, the program connects students—many of whom have never set foot on a lobster boat—with local lobstermen willing to sponsor them. Participants receive traps, gear, and an introduction to the licensing process, and they spend the summer hauling their own traps, learning sustainability practices, and selling their catch to Luke’s at Portland Pier. Students also attend workshops over lunch, where guest speakers lead discussions on topics ranging from marine science and climate change to financial literacy and aquaculture. “We want them to understand the full scope of what’s going on out there,” Conniff says. “Like what it means to be a sustainable fisherman, how to diversify your income, and how climate change could affect your future if you choose to work on the water.”
The program is open to high school students who apply before their 18th birthday, which is a key requirement for obtaining a student commercial license in Maine. Once accepted, they’re matched with mentors and supported with transportation, meals, and all necessary paperwork. For many, it’s a game-changer. “Most of our students who come one year come again and again,” Conniff says. “We have students now who are in their second year of college and still coming back in the summers.”
This year, 30 students are participating, a huge increase from the four students who took part in the program’s first year. The growth has been rapid but deliberate, limited not by interest but by logistics and funding. “We had another 33 qualified applicants this year that we had to turn away,” Conniff notes. “We just didn’t have the resources to take them all.” To address this, Luke’s is in the process of establishing Lift All Boats as its own nonprofit entity. They recently received confirmation of their 501(c)(3) charitable status, which will allow the team to pursue philanthropic funding, expand staff, and ideally launch new programs at additional wharves across the state. “We’d love to take everything we’ve learned and help other waterfronts build similar programs,” Conniff says.
Already, the impact is evident. A few students have taken summer jobs as sternmen, and others are pursuing marine biology degrees or internships with local nonprofits. “Those are all wins for us,” Conniff says. “We want folks who didn’t feel like they belonged on the waterfront to feel like it belongs to them as much as anyone else.” Beyond professional pathways, the program instills something just as powerful: a sense of ownership. Conniff describes how students who never imagined themselves in a lobster boat now move confidently on deck, calling out measurements, checking for eggs, and notching the tails of breeder lobsters with pride. “The project isn’t about us doing something charitable,” Conniff insists. “It’s about these students being incredible individuals—pushing their boundaries, trying something new, and becoming part of a culture that’s central to Maine without compromising who they are.”
The local response has been enthusiastic. “People see a boat full of kids and ask, ‘What’s going on?’” Conniff says with a laugh. “When they hear about the program, they get excited. A lot of folks ask how they can help, whether they can take a student out for a day or become a sponsor.” For those who want to get involved, Conniff suggests visiting the Lift All Boats page on the Luke’s Lobster website, where students, volunteers, and potential donors can learn more. Applications for next summer open in February, but Conniff encourages early interest: “We can’t take everyone yet—but we’re working on it.”
At Luke’s Lobster in Portland, you can support the program in a sweeter way: by ordering the Sea Smoke, a smoky hibiscus-rum cocktail named after the project’s boat. One dollar from every drink goes directly to Lift All Boats. “It’s made with rum liqueur from Sorel, the first Black-owned distillery in the country,” Conniff notes. “It’s delicious.”
As the tides shift and Maine’s marine economy evolves, programs like Lift All Boats are keeping traditions alive while welcoming new voices on deck. For the next generation of Maine’s working waterfront, that’s good news. For the students who now see a future in those salty blue waters, it’s a life-changing invitation.
“We want folks who didn’t feel like they belonged on the waterfront to feel like it belongs to them as much as anyone else.”
"The project isn’t about us doing something charitable. It’s about these students being incredible individuals—pushing their boundaries, trying something new, and becoming part of a culture that’s central to Maine without compromising who they are."