Best Unit Partnership (Up to 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with less than 100 personnel for their work with one or more schools during the previous program year.
Coast Guard Station Chatham, Chatham, MA
BMCS Ross B. Comstock, Officer in Charge, BMC Spencer Hinman, PIE Coordinator
Thirty-four members of CG Station Chatham volunteered 646 hours engaging 1,801 students in activities through partnerships with 5 schools and 4 community-based organizations. School partners included traditional high schools, a vocational technical high school, a middle school, and an elementary school.
CG Station Chatham PIE Program activities engaged students in reading, financial literacy, maritime history, maritime careers, field trips, and sports.
During field trips, students learned about the shipwrecks of Cape Cod and how rescue operations took place 100 years ago and today. During one activity, volunteers held a discussion with one of the local high schools on search and rescue and how improvements in technology have helped save lives and improve commerce. Members of CG Station Chatham and CG Recruiting also visited local high schools to provide insight on careers in the Coast Guard and the marine industry.
CPO Hinman reads to kindergarten students at Mitchell Elementary School in Bridgewater, MA. Photo by Ms. McKenzie Martin.
Best Unit Partnership (More than 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with more than 100 personnel for their work with one or more schools during the previous program year.
Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC), Elizabeth City, NC
CAPT Patrick M. Lineberry, Commanding Officer; OSC Kimberly M. Cole & AETC Shane E. Fairbanks, PIE Coordinators
Sixty-six members of CG ALC and six other collaborating CG units volunteered 152 hours to engage 1,307 students in activities through partnerships with 15 schools, including high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.
CG ALC coordinated partnerships with schools in Elizabeth City, Gates County, and Camden County, increasing the number of partner schools from 11 to 15. To effectively support the increase in partner schools, ALC forged partnerships with local CG units to maintain effective relationships with the schools.
The Elizabeth City PIE Program supported one-on-one tutoring in reading and math; helped students with class science projects; presented on CG careers; supported sports events, chaperoned a school dance; assisted with lunchroom duty during teacher appreciation week; and renovated an elementary school’s courtyard.
The Elizabeth City PIE Program was comprised of CG ALC, the Asset Project Acquisitions Center (APAC); Station Elizabeth City; Air Station Elizabeth City; Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC); Base Elizabeth City; and the National Strick Force Coordination Center (NSFCC).
PIE Program volunteers from the Air Station (AIRSTA), Aviation Logistics Center (ALC), and Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC) in Elizabeth City, NC spent the day cleaning/renovating the Weeksville Elementary School courtyard. Pictured left to right: AET3 Shamus Warden (AIRSTA), AET1 Matthew Stiller (AIRSTA), SKC Randy Crabtree (ALC), AMTCS Eric Hopper (ALC), SK3 Fernando Ortiz Rivera (ALC), AMT1 Tyler Hioe (ATTC), AETC Eloy Fernandez (ATTC). Photo by James Schiffbauer.
Best Collaborative Unit (Up to 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit for their work with one or more other entities (businesses, community-based organizations, or other CG Units) to support one or more schools during the previous program year.
Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Port Angeles, WA
CAPT Brent R. Schmadeke, Commanding Officer; LT Elizabeth C. Miller and LCDR John W. Schultz, PIE Coordinators.
Ten members of CG Air Station Port Angeles volunteered 90 hours in support of a partnership with a community-based organization and an elementary school. Through the partnerships, the PIE volunteers provided two elementary school students with a total of four tutoring session per week without any cancelations across the 2023-2024 fall and spring semesters.
For the 2023-2024 school year, volunteers with Air Station Port Angeles determined that the best way for them to meaningfully impact the education and lives of students in their community was through a partnership with Reading Partners Seattle, an organization which places volunteers in local schools to provide tutoring in reading and writing to underserved students.
Through this partnership,, two students at Sanislo Elementary School, who were behind grade-level reading and writing requirements, were selected to receive tutoring. Working with both partners, a group of 10 CG volunteers, comprised of enlisted and officers of various grades and ranks, committed to delivering curricula-guided tutoring sessions for each student throughout the 2023-2024 fall and spring semesters which helped improves the students' reading and writing levels.
Furthermore, the impressionable students benefited from the volunteers serving as role models and mentors. By committing to teach, mentor, and empower vulnerable students over an extended period of time, CG volunteers positively impacted the lives of students while also fostering positive relationships in the community.
Best Collaborative Unit (More than 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with more than 100 personnel for work with one or more other entities (businesses, community-based organizations, or other CG Units) to support one or more schools during the previous program year.
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, Houston, TX
CAPT Nicole D. Rodriguez, Deputy Commanding Officer; ENS Thomas D. Unger, LTJG Michael A. Lypen, and MST1 Brandon R. Nidiffer, PIE Coordinators
One-hundred members of Sector Houston – Galveston volunteered 545 hours to engage 2,700 students in activities through partnerships with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and the Port of Houston.
Sector Houston – Galveston partnered heavily with the HISD and the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education (PHPME) to maximize the impact of their PIE Program. PHPME, composed of academic, business, community, federal, and industrial partners, supports over 1,000 students from seven maritime high schools and eight local colleges and universities with comprehensive maritime focused curricula.
Working with the CG’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Program and the HISD, Sector Houston-Galveston helped establish the first CG JROTC program in Texas. Working with HISD and PHPME, Sector helped students to obtain a merchant mariner credential upon graduation to ensure their employability and bolster the future of the maritime workforce. Sector Houston – Galveston also provided support to elementary, intermediate, and other high schools by acting as a central node for the coordination of volunteers from 15 CG units as well as the CG Auxiliary, Recruiting Office Houston, and the local CG Academy Admissions Partner.
A few highlights include joining forces with the Harris County Constable Office and 20 other law enforcement agencies to host an event which provided 800 students with an inside look at military and civilian law enforcment missions, equipment, and career opportunities; providing volunteer judges for the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH), one of the largest science fairs in Texas attended by over 900 students and arranging tours for the ten award winners and their families to visit CG units; co-hosting the 2024 Maritime and Logistics Youth Expo which promoted maritime career opportunities to over 500 students from 14 different schools; hosting highly interactive JROTC fields trips to CG cutters; and supporting recruiting efforts in the Nation’s fourth largest city.
CG PIE Volunteers Lt. Matthew Romanuski and SK1 Gian Quinones judge a science fair entry at the Science & Engineering Fair Houston 2024. Courtesy photo.
Sustained Excellence: Awarded to a CG Unit or individual (volunteer, coordinator, and/or leader) during at least three consecutive program years.
Coast Guard Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC), Kearneysville, WV
CAPT Kevin M. Carroll, Commanding Officer; LT Kathryn S. Rubio, PIE Coordinator
One-hundred and fifty-nine members of C5ISC Kearneysville volunteered 681 hours to engage 6,618 students in activities through partnerships with 11 schools and 4 community-based organizations.
Over the last three consecutive program years, C5ISC, which was the recipient of the Best Unit Partnership Award for a large unit in 2022 and 2023, established ten more partnerships, recruited 94 more volunteers; volunteered 350 more hours, and increased the number of students in activities by 4,333. The unit sustained PIE Program excellence despite obstacles that included COVID-19 pandemic measures, workforce shortages, and competing primary missions.
Volunteers from the C5ISC engaged students in a wide range of activities that enhanced well-being, improved academic performance, and increased civic and career awareness. Activities included hosting a school supply and food drive as well as a Holiday Angel Tree; reading to elementary school students through the Read Aloud program; mentoring to elementary and high school students; providing elementary school students with flag training; participating in Women in the Military Night; supporting recruiting efforts; hosting mock interviews; and participating in career days, including hosting a hugely successful Touch-A-Truck Career Day Event that included static displays of a CG helicopter and small-boat.
C5ISC Kearneysville host a "Touch-A Truck Career Day." Courtesy photo.
PIE Coordinator of the Year: Awarded to an individual for their work establishing, sustaining, or expanding high-quality education partnerships during the previous program year.
LT Laura Irish, Coast Guard Base National Capital Region (BNCR), Washington, DC
Forty-two new volunteers from units in the BNCR volunteered 350 hours to engage 2,717 additional students in activities through partnerships with 4 new schools and 2 new community-based organizations.
LT Irish coordinated the participation of at least thirteen CG units in the BNCR that indicated they were interested in supporting the PIE Program but had limited personnel to have their own unit program.
As the PIE Coordinator for previously uninvolved units across BNCR, Lt. Irish conducted outreach to schools; identified partnership opportunities; recruited volunteers; established new partnerships; coordinated volunteers; and tracked and reported volunteer activities.
By facilitating opportunities for multiple units to support the PIE program in small but significant ways, Lt Irish increased volunteer participation, expanded school and community-based partnerships, and maximized the program’s impact in the metro-DC area.
LT Laura Irish, 2024 PIE Coordinator of the Year
2024 PIE Award Honorable Mentions
Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT
Mr. Gerard T. Viola, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Base Honolulu, Honolulu, HI
Lt. Christopher T. Crowley, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Cyber Command, Washington, DC
Lt. j.g. Sean E. Seyller and IT1 Terrance Homicile, PIE Coordinators
Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20), Seattle, WA
MST2 Terra T. Ashbrook, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754), North Charleston, SC
OS1 Andrew J. Burridge, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard National Pollution Funds Center, Washington, DC
YN1 Tshamala Hupprich, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center, Topeka, KS
YNC Bradi D. Brady, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region, Baltimore, MD
MK1 Shoja S. Ahmad, PIE Coordinator
Coast Guard Training Center (TRACEN), Yorktown, VA
OS1 Breann M. Brumfield
Best Unit Partnership (Up to 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with less than 100 personnel for their work with one or more schools during the previous program year.
Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore (WLB 209), Newport, RI
CDR Chad M. Conrad, Commanding Officer; ET1 Andrew Reese, PIE Coordinator
Fourteen Coast Guard members volunteered 300 hours to support an elementary school, including a toy drive, student mentoring, and tutoring math to enhance the well-being and academic achievements of 740 students. The Coast Guard volunteers also collaborated with the local police department and the local Coast Guard recruiting office to raise awareness about Coast Guard career opportunities.
ET2 Brendan Blish and LTJG Veronica Hine each hold a plush animal when CGC SYCAMORE assisted Clairborne Pell Elementary School in a toy drive during the holiday season. Photo by ENS Elizabeth Carter.
Best Unit Partnership (More than 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with more than 100 personnel for their work with one or more schools during the previous program year.
Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC), Kearneysville, WV
CAPT Kevin M. Carroll, Commanding Officer; LTJG Kathryn S. Rubio, PIE Coordinator
Sixty Coast Guard members volunteered 582 hours across seven elementary schools, four high schools, and four community-based organizations at 56 distinct school and community events. These activities included a Thanksgiving food drive, a snack drive, TEDdy talks, a Holiday Angel Tree, county-wide high school mock interviews, and more. Their efforts reached 4,300 students, particularly in underserved communities. To bolster recruitment through initiatives like the Everyone is a Recruiter (EIAR) and Scout Talent and Refer (STAR) programs, C5ISC expanded education partnerships by adding four high schools for the 2023-2024 program year. C5ISC also expanded partnerships to include Warrior GMR and Escape Velocity Academy to help deliver STEM information and activities to over 1,000 youth at the annual Sea, Air & Space Youth Expo hosted by the Navy League.
LT Michael Conell, LTJG Kathryn Rubio, IT2 Graham Benham, LT Ievgen Stepanchuk, and LT Benjamin Greene, Coast Guard PIE volunteers, stand by their booth at the 2023 Annual Sea Air Space Youth STEM Expo. Photo by Mr. Topaz Navarro.
Best Collaborative Unit (Up to 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit for their work with one or more other entities (businesses, community-based organizations, or other CG Units) to support one or more schools during the previous program year.
Force Readiness Command (FC-C), Norfolk, VA
RDML Jeffrey K. Randall, Commanding Officer; LTJG Kelly Kuong, PIE Coordinator.
Twelve tenant commands in Norfolk Main Street Tower (MST), USCG Station Little Creek, and Force Readiness Command (FORCECOM) reinvigorated the area PIE program in 2022 to engage their community and its youth. During the 2022-2023 school year, thirty Coast Guard members volunteered to support several community-based organizations, elementary schools, and an early childhood center through donation drives, career days, field days, and fitness and mentorship programs, impacting 200 preschool and 1,000 elementary school students. The PIE team collaborated with the Society of American Military Engineers to present at the Norfolk Public Schools Community Engagement Council meeting, which opened the door to more volunteer opportunities and collaborative partners and led to six local elementary schools requesting Coast Guard partnerships.
LTJG Kelly Kuong and CWO2 Melinda Skinner stand behind their career day booth at Oceanair Elementary School's Career Day. Courtesy Photo
Best Collaborative Unit (More than 100 Personnel): Awarded to a unit with more than 100 personnel for work with one or more other entities (businesses, community-based organizations, or other CG Units) to support one or more schools during the previous program year.
Sector New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
CAPT Kelly K. Denning, Commanding Officer; LTJG M. Riley Steinbrenner, PIE Coordinator
In 2022, the Louisiana State Legislature passed the Riley Bourgeois Act, which prompted Sector New Orleans to focus its PIE efforts on water safety education to align with the new requirements of the State. During the 2022-2023 PIE Program year, 32 Coast Guard members volunteered 240 hours delivering water safety education to 880 students in just one Louisiana parish school system. This partnership was made possible through the establishment of standard operating procedures and effective coordination efforts, which engaged smaller units with limited crews and competing operational priorities. The participating units included Station New Orleans, ANT New Orleans, ANT Venice, MSST New Orleans, Base New Orleans, Gulf Regional Fisheries Training Center, CGC AXE, CGC PAMLICO, and the MC-20 Incident Management Team. For the 2023-2024 PIE Program year, the Sector plans to continue to engage smaller Coast Guard units and offer its curriculum to students in an adjacent school system.
YN2 Peter Plummer, YN3 Christopher Gross, and MST3 Jacob Geary visit Ruppel Academie Francaise in Gretna, LA. to teach the students how to properly don a life jacket. Photo by Lt. Juston Lee
Sustained Excellence: Awarded to a CG Unit or individual (volunteer, coordinator, and/or leader) during at least three consecutive program years.
Sector Houston – Galveston, Houston, TX
CAPT Keith M Donohue, Commanding Officer; LTJG David S. Strayer, PIE Coordinator
Sector Houston-Galveston leadership invested significantly in its Partnership in Education (PIE) Program. In 2020, the Sector began to expand its network by engaging with local Independent School Districts (ISDs). Specifically, it signed a Memorandum of Agreement and formalized a partnership with the Houston ISD. In addition, Sector Houston collaborated with the CG JROTC Program and Houston ISD’s JROTC program, hoping to establish the first CG JROTC program in the Gulf. Sector Houston also fortified its involvement with the Port Houston Partners in Maritime Education (PHPME), which focuses on preparing the next generation of mariners to fill vital positions in the maritime industry. PHPME supports seven Maritime High School programs, Texas Southern University, and San Jacinto Maritime College. As a central node for PIE efforts in the area, Sector Houston coordinated CG aircraft, small boats, and personnel from 15 Coast Guard units, the Auxiliary, Recruiting Office Houston, and the local Coast Guard Academy Admissions Partner. Over the last three years, Sector Houston executed a wide range of educational activities focused on students, including tours of CG facilities, intervention workshops, career presentations, and multiple school and community events. Notable events coordinated by Sector Houston include a 'Coast Guard Maritime Rally;' a ‘Coast Guard Day’ at an elementary school, the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston, the Maritime & Logistics Youth Expo, and the Houston ISD JROTC Summer Camp. In total, Sector Houston dedicated 1,656 volunteer hours and reached over 4,700 students, significantly enhancing educational impact, Coast Guard presence, and recruiting efforts in the Nation's fourth-largest city.
A Base Galveston member assisting a JROTC student from Yates High School donning firefighting equipment during the school's field trip on base, April 20, 2023. Photo by PA1 Corinne Zilnicki.
PIE Coordinator of the Year: Awarded to an individual for their work establishing, sustaining, or expanding high-quality education partnerships during the previous program year.
LTJG Madison C. Quinn
Sector Long Island Sound, New Haven, CT
CAPT Elisa M. Garrity, Commanding Officer
LTJG Quinn spearheaded the participation of 102 Coast Guard members who volunteered 427 hours across 18 events to enhance educational opportunities for 3,450 students from 12 schools (pre-K to college) in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Coast Guard members contributed as science fair judges, guest readers, special lesson instructors, career day speakers, field trip presenters, and participants in end-of-school-year festivities. LTJG Quinn collaborated with Sector, Station New Haven, ANT Long Island Sound, ESD New Haven, and the Hartford Recruiting Office to plan the Sector’s second consecutive PIE Field Trip. A standout moment for many of the kids was the Coast Guard helicopter landing on the unit parade field. Additionally, LTJG Quinn helped promote and raise awareness about the PIE program at other units, including MSD Coram, which helped bridge outreach and communication gaps and provided opportunities for all units on Long Island, NY, an avenue to participate in PIE events.
Lt. j.g Madison Quinn, 2023 PIE Coordinator of the Year
2023 PIE Award Honorable Mentions
AIRSTATION MIAMI
AVIATION TRAINING CENTER
BASE HONOLULU
CGC HOLLYHOCK
CYBER COMMAND
MSU LAKE CHARLES
MSU PORT ARTHUR
MSU TEXAS CITY
SECTOR NEW ORLEANS
SECTOR VIRGINIA