Our Story

Founded by naval architects Carl Persak and Jeremy Wurmfeld in 2005, Brooklyn Boatworks is a nonprofit that empowers New York City youth through the craft of wooden boatbuilding, hands-on STEM learning, and maritime exploration. For over 20 years, we have transformed classrooms into workshops and waterfronts into living laboratories where middle school students - especially from under-resourced communities - build and launch their own seaworthy boats.

But Brooklyn Boatworks is more than boatbuilding - it is a rigorous and engaging education in STEM exploration, and students leave with the belief that they can navigate challenges and chart bold, bright futures.