Row New York

Programming has expanded to include boys, middle school students, People with Disabilities, Veterans, corporate team-building, and summer camps.

[2][3] Row New York's stated mission is "We believe that the unique combination of rowing plus academic support develops confidence and cultivates a strong work ethic, regardless of background or ability.” [4] The organization's mission is predicated on observation and research demonstrating the mental health, physical health, and social benefits of youth athletic participation.

The organization also views rowing as a way to demonstrate the relationship between hard work and reward, the importance of teamwork to success, and the possibilities of individual achievement for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

[7] The history of female athletic participation in the U.S. influenced Row New York's founding emphasis on empowering girls.

Subsequent societal changes, including the 1972 passage of Title IX legislation, tempered these views and increased female athletic participation.

[11] U.S. Olympic rower and gold medalist Chris Ahrens served as a founding member of the organization's board of directors.

The community rowing programs feature day camps in the summer [15] that bring children with and without disabilities from all over the city to the Queens boathouse.

Row New York's tutoring and SAT guidance prepared many of these girls to get the grades and test scores needed for college admission and/or NCAA eligibility.

[22] Row New York's programming has received attention and coverage in a variety of local, national, and international media outlets.

[23] Row New York's on-water home in Queens is the World's Fair Boathouse on Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

Built for the 1939 World's Fair, the boathouse underwent $7.2 million renovation from 2009 to 2011, financed primarily by the office of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.

[25] In spring 2012, Row New York acquired the right to run programming out of a second venue, the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, on the Harlem River.