WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — One of the beauties of Florida is the accessibility to water; however, not everyone is afforded the same opportunities when it comes to water sports.
When it comes to activities like boating and rowing, they can be expensive, leaving many people unable to participate. However, that will soon change with the partnership between the Palm Beach Rowing Association and a local program.
WATCH WPTV'S COVERAGE BELOW:
For the past 30 years, the School of Urban Youth Impact has made it its mission to take kids from challenging backgrounds and make them great young adults.
"These experiences that we have with our children are called E-U-P's experiencing unexpected pathways. So it's learning something new, learning something that is like, hey, I might be afraid of this, then to see their faces just light up,” said Urban Youth’s President, Chris Tress.
At Urban Youth, the kids learn life skills, such as cooking and gardening, as well as other extracurricular activities.
However, a new activity is being introduced to the curriculum in the coming months.
"This sport of rowing offers a college scholarship and many opportunities for them to dream big,” said Tress.
During its first year, the course will be offered to fifth-grade students free of charge.
It's a program created through UIY's partnership with the Palm Beach Rowing Association.
"Rowing gives you a lot of skills in life, like focus, discipline, and I think most importantly, it gives you opportunity,” said James K. Green, the founder of PBRA.
The opportunities are endless. First, the students will receive free swim lessons to ensure everyone is safe in the water. Then, they'll learn to row on a machine before hitting the water.
Sounds exciting right?
Even if it's not, fifth grader Rodericka Glover is excited about one thing.
"I really want to row, row, row my boat,” said Glover, who adds she's never been on a boat or done any water activity.
"I've been in a helicopter before, but I've never been in a boat before, which is kind of crazy,” said Glover.
For her classmate Makai Lawson, it's one of the things he looks forward to most about the lessons.
"The simulator, because I like technology,” said Lawson, who’s grateful that his school is teaching him a cool skill set at such a young age.
"We get to be on the water and row,” said Lawson.
