Boats-By-Kids started In 2015 as an education and boat-building program being offered by the New Bedford Community Boating Center at Dennison Memorial Community Center in the south end of New Bedford. Forty-five “Dennison Kids” between the ages of 6 and 15 years old spent an hour a week building model boats, and a 12’ rowboat. The fighting-lady-yellow boat named “Missy D.” is used to row back and forth to our fleet of moored boats.

Yes, we have room for you. Join us this winter at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center on Mondays after school and Saturdays. We are also offering vacation week model building. Call for details. (508) 992-6219

The Building To Teach program, developed by Joe Youcha at the Alexandria Seaport Foundation and supported by the Office of Naval Research, uses the hands-on building process to help students improve their math skills, but much more: They learn planning, communication and responsibility in addition to measuring, practice with fractions, and practical geometry. They discover abilities they didn’t know they had and gain confidence. And, they learn math and come to see it as a useful tool in their lives. If you teach math and want to engage your students at a deeper level, come build with us!         opens in a new windowwww.buildingtoteach.com

We help students develop comportment, engagement, concentration, preparedness, confidence, and perseverance. The cultural completeness of the maritime setting enables students to address philosophical, historical, language, arts and STEM subjects simultaneously.

Now that the kids, aged 8 to 18, have completed and launched three boats, they are gaining an appreciation for the joy of rowing and sailing, while also learning valuable math skills and how to work as a team.Their perspective shifts through this program. When they step foot on a boat, depart from the land, and look back at the city — The sense of accomplishment is written on their faces.