Rocking the Boat Launches Hand-Made 16-Foot Sailboat in Hudson River on July 22

Rocking the Boat Launches Hand-Made 16-Foot Sailboat in Hudson River on July 22

Inner city kids celebrate the completion of their latest accomplishment; Public invited to join, donations welcome

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to film segment on Rocking the Boat's Executive Director as part of series taking him from 'hippie' to 'hip'

NEW YORK, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocking the Boat, a non-profit boatbuilding and environmental education youth development program based in the South Bronx, will gather at Pier 63 in Manhattan on July 22 to launch their latest accomplishment -- a new 16-foot Melonseed Skiff sailboat -- into the Hudson River, it was announced today.

To celebrate, Rocking the Boat's Executive Director, Adam Green, will be joined by his students who worked tirelessly to build this new masterpiece in a BBQ dance party. Members of the media and potential corporate donors are encouraged to attend.

As part of the celebration, the production team from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy will film the launch as the final segment of an episode where the Fab Five give Green a total make-over that will assist him in attracting corporate sponsorships needed for his organization to succeed.

Where: Pier 63 Maritime 23rd Street and the Hudson River (behind the Basketball City bubble)

When: Friday, July 22, 2-6PM

Contributions are greatly appreciated and will support Rocking the Boat's youth development programs. Space is limited. Please call 914 669 9067 or email jaye@rockingtheboat.org to reserve your place(s).

About Rocking the Boat

Rocking the Boat is a boatbuilding and on-water education program based out of the southwest Bronx, New York City. Through a hands-on alternative approach to education and youth development, Rocking the Boat addresses the need for inner city youth to achieve practical and tangible goals, relevant to both everyday life and future aspirations. This process allows high school students to acquire practical, academic, and social skills.

Rocking the Boat runs programming in both boatbuilding and environmental science, coordinating three after school and summer programs in each discipline annually, working directly with over 150 students, all of whom receive high school credit. During the process of building a traditional wooden boat, Rocking the Boat students create something not only beautiful, but practical in their own lives, bridging urban and natural life within their neighborhoods. This approach is mirrored in the on-water education program through direct focus on Bronx River habitat monitoring and restoration and through maritime skills training. Both programs allow students opportunities to gain a deeper awareness of their own abilities and possibilities in the natural and urban world.

Adam Green, founder and executive director, has been featured in articles in the New York Times, Time Out New York, NBC Nightly News, and Scholastic Action, among others. He was also named New York 1 News "New Yorker of the Week" in August 2003.

Source: Rocking the Boat

CONTACT: Jaye Pockriss, +1-914-669-9067, jaye@rockingtheboat.org, for Rocking the Boat

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