Rowing WA (RWA) are embarking on a project to establish a community based rowing program in the South-East Metropolitan region. This program aims to use rowing as a vehicle to deliver positive community outcomes for youth at risk, indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) and low socio-economic communities. Students from all backgrounds will be provided an opportunity thorugh their schools to participate in a program that ordinarily they would not have access to due to financial and other constraints. The program runs in each school term with schools able to coordinate with Rowing WA on times that work for them.

Students engaged in the activities will develop an understanding of a healthy and active lifestyle and improve their fitness but also develop a set of skills on and off the water to assist them with dealing with the current and future challenges of life. The program could see up to 1,000 young people exposed to these program outcomes annually. There is also possible scope to expand this program beyond the student context into adult programs in future.

RWA have an established club network to support continued student engagement with rowing and the obvious health and community benefits of being involved with the sport.