Inspiring curiosity
Building confidence
Exploring the science of water
THE CALISTA INITIATIVE
What is The Calista Initiative?
The Calista Initiative is a Veteran-owned company dedicated to developing hands-on STEM education programs that use freshwater and marine science to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and foster leadership and respect.
Through guided exploration, inquiry-based learning, and mentorship, students discover both the science of water and the strengths within themselves.
We partner with schools, libraries, museums and community organizations to create engaging experiences that inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, explorers, and environmental stewards.
How it works
PARTNER-BASED MODEL
We collaborate with schools, libraries, clubs and youth organizations.
MODULAR LEARNING
Programs can include classroom exploration, hands-on STEM challenges, and optional water-based experiences when appropriate.
CONFIDENCE FIRST
The goal isn’t certification - it’s building curiosity, safety awareness, teamwork, and leadership.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Students learn through real exploration, experimentation, and discovery - not just lecture and worksheets
PILOT PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS
PILOT PROGRAMS
Calista pilot programs are short-format, hand-on STEM experiences that introduce students to the core principles of the initiative: water safety, buoyancy science, teamwork confidence and leadership. Pilot sessions allow schools, libraries, clubs, and youth organizations to experience the program before committing to a larger series.
PARTNER WITH CALISTA
We are currently seeking partner organizations in Northeast Wisconsin to host pilot sessions and youth workshops. If your school, library, club, or youth organization is interested in bringing Calista to your community, we’d love to connect and explore how we can work together.
CONNECT WITH CALISTA
If you are interested in hosting a pilot program or learning more, we’d love to hear from you.
THE LEGEND OF CALISTA
Watch the short cinematic original story behind The Calista Initiative
let’s inspire the next generation
Every great adventure begins with curiosity. Calista helps young people build confidence, leadership, and a lifelong love of science through real-world exploration.
If you’d like to bring Calista to your school or organization, we’d love to hear from you.
calista in action
Real students. Real experiences. Real impact.
curiosity in motion - Manitowoc
Hands-on learning in action. Students explored water safety, buoyancy, and marine science through curiosity-driven experiments.
Founding Calista Initiative pilot session —Manitowoc Public Library
march 28,2026
Real feedback from students in our founding members class
“Making a boat and competing with pennies was my favorite!”
“I want to learn how to become a scuba diver!”
“I really liked using pressure to make the diver float!”
“My little brother is going to be a future Calista kid!”
“I think It was fun to learn how water works!”
“Astronauts train in water too!”
Expanding Our Reach - Green Bay Kroc Center
Building on the success of the founding pilot program, The Calista Initiative partnered with the Green Bay Kroc Center to bring hands-on STEM experiences to even more young explorers.
Sharing Curiosity Beyond Calista
HOMESTEAD HIGHSCHOOL - CAREERS IN MARINE EXPLORATION
April 14, 2026 • Two sessions
Real-world ocean careers brought into the classroom
Students explored real careers in marine science, diving, and underwater exploration through interactive discussion, real-world examples, and firsthand stories from the field.
The session focused on:
How we map the ocean
Real dive experiences and marine life
Career paths in exploration and research
Students actively engaged in ocean mapping, diving stories, and career discussions.
Guest Speaker: Todd Gordon - President, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Students had the opportunity to hear directly from Todd Gordon, who shared real artifacts and insights into Great Lakes maritime history and shipwreck exploration.
This presentation is part of The Calista Initiative’s mission to introduce students to real-world exploration, build curiosity, and connect learning to meaningful career paths.
Interested in bringing Calista to your school or program? Contact us to schedule a presentation or pilot program.
Featured in Soundings
(Click the image to read the full article)
The Calista Initiative was recently featured in Soundings, a publication of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society distributed across the U.S. and Canada.
The article highlights Calista as a youth program focused on water safety, buoyancy science, and confidence-building through hands-on learning.
Let’s build the next generation of explorers
Whether you’re a school, library, museum, youth organization, or community partner, we’d love to work with you to inspirer curiosity through hands-on STEM experiences.