Rocking the Boat uses traditional wooden boatbuilding and on-water education to help youth develop into empowered and responsible adults.

Description and/or History:
Through the mediums of wooden boatbuilding and environmental and maritime skills education, Rocking the Boat allows South Bronx students to deal with everyday realities that are often not addressed at home or in school. Five levels of community and youth development programs operate during the fall and spring academic semesters and over the summer. Together, the programs directly serve over 2,000 students and community members drawn from a range of New York City public middle schools, high schools and neighborhoods, the majority being in the South Bronx. Rocking the Boat teaches, challenges, nurtures, and motivates, providing the tools to transition into the next phase of life. Kids don’t just build boats at Rocking the Boat, boats build kids.
Adam Green founded Rocking the Boat in 1996 as a volunteer boatbuilding project in an East Harlem junior high school. In 1996-97 he further developed the new program through work at Hostos Community College. In 1998 he brought Rocking the Boat to the community of New Settlement Apartments in the Bronx, which acted as a fiscal and community sponsor, providing a workshop space in the basement of one of its buildings. Rocking the Boat has since developed into a fully sustainable independent non-profit organization, incorporating in 2001. Rocking the Boat is the only organization in New York City exclusively devoted to an intensive experiential youth development program based on wooden boatbuilding and environmental education. The 14-member full-time staff includes two experienced boatbuilders; two U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Captains; two environmental science educators; a licensed social worker; and a guidance counselor, all with histories of working with young people, enabling Rocking the Boat to professionally and effectively serve its community.

Contact person: Volunteer Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, (718) 466-5799, (email)

Address:

812 Edgewater Road Bronx, NY 10474 (See a map)

Directions:

By Subway: Take #6 Train to Hunts Point Avenue. Walk on Hunts Point Avenue and cross under Bruckner Expressway. Make third left on Lafayette Avenue. Follow Lafayette Avenue down steep hill to Edgewater Road. Cross Edgewater Road (very carefully!) and. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: # 6 Train at Hunts Point Avenue,   Walk distance (in minutes): 15   Nearest Bus Stop: # 6 Bus at Lafayette Avenue, 5 minute walk