Youth program

Offering youth greater access to the water and empowering them with skills and confidence is one of our most important missions.

Since 2011, in association with The Kayak Foundation and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse has provided an outstanding curriculum of youth paddling activities. More than a thousand teenagers from youth groups, camps, and summer school programs have participated in our weekday programs, learning kayaking safety and basics and paddling safely in pools and sheltered harbor waters.

As an organization, we believe that offering youth greater access to the water and empowering them with the skills and confidence to embrace the opportunity is one of our most important missions. For urban youth, many of whom have never been on a boat of any kind before entering one of our programs, a simple paddling experience can be literally life-changing; we hope that it encourages the next generation to be advocates for and stewards of the NYC waterways.

For additional details or to reserve a spot, please contact the Conservancy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Youth Kayak Program?

It's an introduction to kayaking for youths aged 12 to 18 that includes an on-land session to familiarize participants with basic equipment and terminology; an on-water demonstration of skills like paddling forward, backward, and sideways, stopping, and turning; and finally, time to try out these new skills! The entire session lasts 2 hours. All participants use sit-on-top plastic kayaks (both single and double kayaks are available). No more than 20 participants are on the water at any given time.

What are the organizational requirements?

Every participant must have a signed and fully completed waiver. Youth waivers must be signed by a parent or guardian in advance and collected by a responsible adult who acts as the group supervisor. The group supervisor will affirm that all the waivers are accurate and complete when delivering them to the kayak program administrator; that he or she has full authority to make decisions on behalf of the youth group; and that the youth group has obtained all public and/or private permissions necessary to participate.

How much does the program cost?

You can find program fee and booking information on the Brooklyn Bridge Park website.

What equipment is provided?

We provide all the basics: boats, paddles, and life vests.