• In partnership with Hudson River Community Sailing, Community Offshore Wind will offer marine and wind education through sailing to New York City public school students from underserved communities.
• Sailing instruction will help students learn water navigation and maritime skills for future careers in offshore wind.
• The partnership coincides with the US Department of Energy’s Energy Awareness Month in October.

Wind provides the energy used to propel a sailboat. This is the same energy that propels an offshore wind turbine. From October through June 2023, Community Offshore Wind and Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) are offering lessons in wind through sailing to over 200 New York City public school students from underserved communities. The partnership draws students from across the five boroughs to learn about wind energy and navigation at Pier 66 in Chelsea, and Dyckman Marina in Inwood, New York. The program is designed to build leadership and maritime skills for a more inclusive, equitable workforce of tomorrow in offshore wind.

Community Offshore Wind is a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid that will develop offshore wind by 2030 in the New York Bight, the area between Long Island and New Jersey. Building a diverse, equitable workforce of the future is just one of the many ways the organization is working to benefit communities in the Northeast.  

“Our partnership with Hudson River Community Sailing is providing New York City public school students from underserved communities with math, science and leadership skills through sailing,” said Doug Perkins, President and Project Director of Community Offshore Wind. “Lessons in the power of wind energy and water navigation are critical for future careers in offshore wind. By enabling students with STEM education and on-water accessibility, Community Offshore Wind seeks to build the workforce of tomorrow.”  

HRCS is a not-for-profit development and community sailing organization that partners with public schools to offer credit-bearing afterschool programming, internships, mentoring and college readiness. HRCS’s youth development platform uses sailing, boat operation, and boat building to further academic skills and inspire passion for social and environmental issues for career success. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Community Offshore Wind to further our mission of developing leadership and academic success in underserved New York City youth through sailing education,” said HRCS Executive Director Robert Burke. “We hope the maritime skills learned will help foster future careers on the water and create a more inclusive workforce in offshore wind.”.  

The partnership between Community Offshore Wind and HRCS launches during the US Department of Energy’s Energy Awareness Month in October, to raise awareness of the importance of sustainably managing the nation's energy resources.  

Perkins noted that building a diverse, equitable workforce of the future is one of the many ways that Community Offshore Wind is working to benefit communities in the Northeast. Through partnerships like Hudson River Community Sailing, the joint venture is providing the next generation with the right skills and education to access careers in offshore wind. 

There is a pronounced achievement gap between students from under-resourced schools and neighborhoods and their more affluent counterparts, according to Hudson River Community Sailing. HRCS is a powerful, multi-faceted youth development program that changes that paradigm by providing: academic enrichment and social-emotional learning, college readiness, workforce preparation, diverse mentors, and a sports-based activity that accesses New York City’s unique marine environment.  

With locations in Chelsea and Inwood, students in the afterschool program learn to sail on the Hudson River and build essential teamwork and communication skills in hands-on, small group settings. For more information, please visit Hudson River Community Sailing and Community Offshore Wind.