about rocking the boat

Rocking the Boat is a boatbuilding and
on-water education program based out of the southwest Bronx, New York City.
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The environmental restoration work described here is supported by the following donors:

Altman Foundation

Bay and Paul Foundations

J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation

CITGO

Environmental Resources Management

Heckscher Foundation for Children

Hudson River Improvement Fund

Independence Community Foundation

Long Island Sound Futures Fund

New York City Department of Youth and Community Development

New York City Environmental Fund

Prescott Fund for Children and Youth

Congressman Jose E. Serrano’s WCS-NOAA Lower Bronx River Partnership

Who we are

Rocking the Boat is a boatbuilding and on-water education program based out of the southwest Bronx, located in New York City. Rocking the Boat addresses the need for inner city youth to achieve practical and tangible goals, relevant to both everyday life and future aspirations.

Students generally learn and practice Maritime Skills such as boat handling, navigation techniques and swimming. Apprentices are also given the opportunity to be certified in fields such as CPR/First Aid and Powerboat handling. Another key part of our program is Environmental Restoration. We feel that understanding the natural environment of the upper New York Harbor and our local area is an important aspect to our development as environmentalists. We also work to restore these natural habitats by implementing projects in partnership with a range of professional scientists that work with an array of different schools and organizations.

This website is geared toward depicting the work our program’s accomplishments and the work we hope to explore in the future. Our On-Water Job Skills Apprentices have put together this webpage to showcase all of the On -Water family’s work and their contributions to the Bronx River as a collective unit. By using the wooden boats built by the Boat builders, the On-Water students are able to get out on the water to explore various waterways and perform data collection and restoration work that could not be done from land. Therefore we have earned our place in the ecosystem of the New York Restorers!