New York Harbor School was founded in the fall of 2003 with the express goal of giving young people from New York City access to New York city's most valuable resource it's Harbor. From its humble beginning in Bushwick High School Campus, to its state of the art facilities on Governors Island today, many battles were fought to obtain and maintain that access. How can we expect future generations to care for and restore the New York Harbor estuary without being able to experience it first hand? Historically, New York City residents have been cut off from access to their waterways and the opportunities for careers and recreation it provides. Now, 23 years later funding has been taken away from a program that has allowed hundreds of public high school students to experience sailing in a safe, well organized program. It is overwhelmingly accepted that youth sailing teaches a myriad of valuable attitudes, skills and knowledge: communication, teamwork, spatial/situational awareness, physical fitness, planning and responsibility, along with the direct maritime skills that can translate to real careers on the water. Estuary preservation and restoration is the foundation  for the healthy marine environment so necessary for confronting the climactic challenges looming over our planet. Now is the time for increasing and expanding access and programs that allow our youth to interact with, learn about and appreciate the marine environment, not to be cutting off essential resources. We the undersigned, respectfully request that funding for the NY Harbor School Sailing Program Fall 2025 sailing season be fully and swiftly restored.
Thank you,
Brendan Malone, Founding Teacher, former Sailing Coach