Founded in 2007, Community Boat Building’s (CBB) mission is to bring real world experience and academic skills together to stimulate excitement for learning among low-income students in Boston Public Schools through boat building and coastal experiences.
CBB introduces approximately 160 5th graders each year to the accessibility and wonders of Boston Harbor, its islands, rivers, and history, while developing spatial thinking skills and reinforcing core academic subjects — math, geometry, science, social studies, and literacy. For most of their students, CBB is the first contact with the waterfront and the first time on or in the water, in spite of living in close proximity to Boston Harbor. By taking students out of their classroom and offering them opportunities to engage in hands-on learning on Boston’s waterfront, their world becomes bigger and their learning comes alive.