Photo, from left: Holly Boyle, Piping Design Apprentice; Calixto Mesterhazy, Structural Design Apprentice; Michael McNeil, Structural Design Apprentice; Victoria Edwards, Piping Design Apprentice; Erick Cushman (D408), EBMA Tutoring Program Coordinator.
In 2013, the Electric Boat Management Association (EBMA) kick-started a community outreach initiative to assist middle and high school students in surrounding communities. To date, over 100 EBMA members have volunteered their time to be a mentor, tutor and role model to local students through the Volunteer Tutoring Program.
To get the program on its feet, the EBMA worked closely with school administrators to develop guidelines, and first tested the program in the Old Lyme school district. In the first year, volunteers were tutoring students in Old Saybrook, Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme and Waterford. The program has since taken off, with tutors providing assistance to students throughout Southeastern Connecticut and Southwest Rhode Island. Schools that wish to support the program are provided with a list of tutors, subjects they will teach, towns they will support and contact information.
The process for connecting with a tutor is easy. A student’s parent or guardian contacts their school guidance counselor to receive a list of tutors that support their town. The parent or guardian can then contact a tutor of their choice and arrange a session. Sessions typically take place in the student’s home where a parent or guardian is present. If the tutoring session takes place elsewhere, a parent or guardian should remain in the vicinity. Tutors make use of student’s notes and textbooks to better understand subject matter, and can assist students with studying for an upcoming exam, homework, or helping them better grasp a particular subject. To ensure the program is continuously monitored, tutors submit a report after each tutoring session to both the school (upon request) and the EBMA board. All tutoring sessions are free and available to all Electric Boat employees and their families.
While the EBMA is primarily focused on management development, their secondary goal is to foster community activities, establishing and improving relationships within the local communities. Erick Cushman (D408), the EBMA’s tutoring program coordinator, has seen the program do just that, and looks forward to watching it grow. “In the six years I’ve been managing the program, I’ve been continually encouraged by the sincere expressions of gratitude from both school administrators and also parents, and the very positive experiences of the tutors themselves,” said Cushman. By taking advantage of the program, students are receiving guidance from not only a tutor, but a potential career role model, and parents get to watch their children strive for success; it’s a win-win.
Electric Boat employees can also take advantage of the tutoring program. Cushman, while overseeing the program, also volunteers his time as a tutor, and is currently assisting a small group of EB designers in the Apprentice Program. Holly Boyle, a piping design apprentice at EB, is one of the employees in a small physics study group led by Cushman. “This tutoring program is fantastic,” said Boyle. “When I first started reaching out to tutors on the list I was given, they were all so willing to help. After speaking with a few of the tutors, Erick had the availability and knowledge that worked for us in our physics class. We were able to meet once a week for most of the semester. Thanks to Erick, we have done tremendously well.”
In an effort to grow the program and reach more schools and students in the area, the EBMA encourages more employees to commit to helping students in their area. To be a tutor, one must be a member of the EBMA. If you’re a member and are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, or if you have any questions about the program, please contact Erick Cushman. To learn more about the EBMA Volunteer Tutoring Program, please see the association’s website.
2026 Veterans Day Observances
Join us on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, for Electric Boat’s annual Veterans Day observances, as we gather together to honor our service members past and present. There will be ceremonies held for first-, second- and third-shift employees in Groton and Quonset Point. 2026 Veterans Day commemorative pins will be available for those in attendance. If...Continue reading→
Introducing the Native Americans & Indigenous People of Electric Boat (NAIP) Employee Resource Group
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Rayha Report Ep. 30: 40-Year Dinner Celebrates EB’s Distinguished Shipbuilders
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EB Supports 45th Annual MLK Scholarship Awards
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Building the Future: EB’s New Central Distribution Hub
In April, Electric Boat (EB) began construction on the new central distribution hub for its warehousing, shipping, and receiving operations at 45 Frontage Road in North Stonington, CT. Since then, the 480,000‑square‑foot next‑generation warehouse facility has quickly taken shape. All wall panels are now complete, and construction is ahead of schedule. The facility will celebrate...Continue reading→
Delivering the Future
Some imagine the future. We deliver it now.
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A Celebration of Heart, Community and Victory
2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk Recap Saturday, October 3, 2026 | UConn Avery Point The 2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk at UConn Avery Point was nothing short of extraordinary. Under bright autumn skies, 26 incredible Electric Boat teams and 151 walkers came together with passion, purpose, and unstoppable energy...Continue reading→
Quonset Point Donation Will Help Keep Mystic Aquarium’s Belugas Cool
Juno, the Mystic Aquarium’s convivial, photo-bombing Beluga whale, will continue swimming in cool comfort thanks to an unlikely chain of events that began 40 miles east in an Electric Boat industrial building at Quonset Point. That’s where EB’s Russ Tatro and Chris Logan were going over plans with a vendor, Carrier Corp., to replace Building...Continue reading→
