School Day Adaptive

Row New York’s School Day Adaptive program proudly collaborates with the NYC Department of Education District 75 to offer rowing opportunities to high school students with cognitive and physical disabilities.

This year, Row New York is providing 18 weeks of programming throughout the fall and spring terms, benefiting eight schools across The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Each participating school serves an estimated ten to twelve students, fostering an inclusive environment where they can learn fundamental rowing skills, enhance physical fitness, and thrive within a supportive team setting.

Partner schools contribute transportation, paraprofessionals, and a dedicated teacher to assist our coaches, while Row New York supplies all necessary equipment, a highly skilled coaching staff, and culminating events each season. These events provide our adaptive athletes with the thrilling opportunity to compete against each other in spirited races on Meadow Lake, hosted at the World’s Fair Boathouse.

To participate, schools are asked to contact Yamada Hiroyuki, District 75 Director of Office of School Wellness. For more information on Row New York’s School Day Adaptive program, contact Coach Jackson Davis at jdavis@rownewyork.org.

The results

Teachers report their students showing improvements not only in fitness but also in focus, balance, and positive engagement with their peers after participating in Row New York’s School Day Adaptive rowing program. One teacher had this to say:

“I was very impressed with the lesson and the procedures. All of my students felt safe and were very excited. I have one girl in particular who is non-verbal, but at the end of the session, in a complete sentence, she said, ‘I am going to tell my mother, grandmother, and father about rowing.’ Blew us away.”

About Row New York’s Adaptive Programs

Row New York began in 2002 on Meadow Lake in Queens to increase academic and athletic opportunities for girls living in some of New York’s most under-resourced communities. Since that time, we have evolved into a nationally-recognized sports-based youth development organization serving individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities, in addition to our youth program that primarily serves students from under-resourced communities.

In 2009, Row New York successfully piloted a summer partnership with New York University’s Women with Disabilities program. A positive response from participants coupled with increasing demand for inclusive, accessible athletic opportunities led the organization to expand its adaptive rowing offerings to include programs for adults and youth with physical and cognitive disabilities. Since that time, the Adaptive Rowing Program has grown from a single day of activities serving 15 young women into a multi-faceted program that includes our School Day Adaptive Program, Community Adaptive Rowing Partnership Programs, and Veterans Rowing