Tall Ships America works with tall ships operators, host ports, crew, and corporate sponsors with a focus on youth education, leadership development, and preservation of the maritime heritage of North America. The mission of Tall Ships America is to encourage character building thru sail training, promote sail training to the North American public, and support education under sail.

Nicolas Hardisty joined Tall Ships America as Program Coordinator in 2019. His work in this position draws largely on his background in sailing and experiential education. He earned an MA in History from Rhode Island College, specializing in African American and Colonial Atlantic history. Prior to this position, Nic worked as an instructor of history at Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, and was the coordinator for RIC’s experiential education program at the Rhode Island State House. Nic’s family has been involved in tall ships and sail training for generations, and he is excited to offer his own contributions to the industry. He conducts historical research and analysis in his spare time and has presented articles on African American history, presidential assassinations, and identifying/managing vicarious trauma in historians at numerous conferences throughout the United States. He is a co-founder of the academic collective Global Empire & Resistance Scholarship, and serves on the executive council of the New England Regional World History Association. He was recently married on board the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel..