Newark Public Schools Partnership with Brick City Rowing Gives Students a New Perspective – On the Water and Beyond

NEWARK, N.J. – Before heading onto the river at Tuesday’s Brick City Rowing practice, seventh grader Kendo Cigarroa described the mix of emotions that comes with trying something new.

“I’m feeling nervous, but I feel confident at the same time,” said Cigarroa, who attends Hawkins Street School.

A similar mix of nerves and accomplishment greeted Anhiely Ballina, a sixth grader at Quitman Street School, after her first outing in a rowing boat.

“I was good, but I had a little bit of anxiety,” she said.

That combination of anticipation and determination is part of the experience Newark Public Schools students are discovering through the district’s partnership with Brick City Rowing. Facilitated by the Office of Extended Learning, led by Dr. Julianne Bello, the partnership gives students access to free rowing instruction and opportunities to develop confidence, discipline, and teamwork through a challenging new sport.

Superintendent León attended a recent practice where students from Hawkins Street and Quitman Street elementary schools teamed up with students from St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, Science Park High School, and Essex County Newark Tech to participate in the Brick City Rowing practice. The district students worked together on their rowing skills, experienced the responsibilities of handling a boat, and saw their city from a different vantage point from the Passaic River. The partnership between the district and Brick City Rowing began with a pilot program in March.

“Our students are offered opportunities to discover their talents and interests that they may never have imagined pursuing,” said Superintendent León. “Watching them take on a new challenge, trust their teammates, and grow more confident shows why these experiences matter. We are grateful to Brick City Rowing for helping our students discover what they can accomplish.”

For sixth grader Lucas Ferreira, rowing offers something beyond a workout. Practicing on land prepares him for the physical demands, but getting onto the water brings a sense of purpose and achievement.

“When you go in the water, it feels like you’re winning something,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira, who also plays soccer and basketball, was learning to row in a two-person boat, known as a double. Afterward, he enthusiastically described practicing turns, adjusting his posture, and learning how to control the boat’s movement.

“It was awesome because I was turning the boat,” he said.

Craig White, President and Founder of Brick City Rowing, said students approach their early experiences on the water with different levels of confidence. Fear can make learning difficult at first, he explained, while some students are ready to try immediately.

“Every once in a while, you run into a kid who just has no fear,” White said. “They’re just like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna try.’”

White also described how different forms of rowing develop students’ skills and judgment. In sweep rowing, each athlete uses one oar; in sculling, each uses two. Sculling boats without a coxswain—the person who directs the crew—require rowers to take greater responsibility for their direction and awareness on the water.

“You have to manage your point and maximize your awareness at all times. There’s no one else to blame,” White said, explaining that rowers must check where they are heading while coordinating their movements.

For students, those responsibilities come alongside the satisfaction of learning something unfamiliar. Seventh grader Arthur Ribeiro, who was making his third outing on the river, said he appreciated the sport’s physical demands. Fellow seventh grader Arlisson Rodrigues, who had begun attending practices about a month earlier, welcomed another opportunity to be active.

“I feel great doing sports,” Rodrigues said.

Sixth grader Jade Burroughs was experiencing her first outing in a rowing boat. She described a beginner’s challenge ¬– “catching a crab,” a rowing term for an oar blade getting caught in the water—but also identified an immediate attraction.

“I like how it was going fast,” she said.

“Extended learning gives students the chance to apply themselves in new settings and discover what they can accomplish,” said Dr. Bello. “At rowing practice, they have to listen, make adjustments, work together, and keep trying. Each new skill gives them another reason to believe in themselves.”

The partnership reflects one of the district’s five core values by valuing reciprocal relationships in the district’s strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020–30. By connecting schools with community organizations, Newark Public Schools expands students’ access to experiences and expertise beyond the classroom. This partnership also highlights another one of the district’s five core values, cultivating agency by having the city’s high school students teaching our younger learners the true power of student voice.

“Every student should have opportunities to explore interests and discover strengths,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “Brick City Rowing is helping make that possible by opening this sport to our students and supporting them as they learn.”

Practices take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m., with the fall season continuing through the second week of November. For students taking their first strokes or learning to steer a double, each practice offers another opportunity to turn uncertainty into accomplishment.