Community Boat Building (CBB)

What Community Boat Building (CBB) does

Community Boat Building (CBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, fiscally sponsored by Third Sector New England, founded in 2007 by John Rowse in Boston, MA. Its core product is the Periwinkle Jr., a 10-foot wooden rowboat designed by Nat Benjamin and built in teams of 5–6 by 5th and 6th graders from Boston Public Schools under the supervision of CBB's Boat Building Teachers; each boat represents over 150 hours of experiential education integrating math, geometry, science, spatial thinking, and social-emotional learning. The program serves approximately 160 BPS students annually and has reached over 1,500 students since founding, with a flagship 10-year partnership at Harvard-Kent Elementary.

CBB's product surface spans four lines: (1) the in-school BPS program delivered during school hours at partner schools, (2) a paid summer program at the Boston Seaport shop and at the American Yacht Club in Newburyport with sessions priced $550–$1,450, (3) the JR Junior Model Boat Box — a $50 1":1' balsa-wood scale kit shipped nationwide for remote and hybrid learning — and (4) direct sale of student-built Periwinkle Jr. rowboats at $1,000 new and $500 used, plus accessories. Revenue is donation- and grant-dependent, supported by named funders including 11th Hour Racing, Amelia Peabody Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Stanley Black and Decker, Boston Marine Society, Boston After School and Beyond, and The Boston Foundation. Distribution is a mix of in-school integration, on-site Seaport shop pickup, e-commerce for model kits and summer registration, and a channel partnership with the American Yacht Club. The organization is small (1–10 staff) and led by Executive Director Stockton Reece, who succeeded founder John Rowse in 2015.

Name

Community Boat Building (CBB)

Legal name

Community Boat Building

Website

https://communityboatbuilding.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Boat Building (CBB) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential STEM education to low-income 5th and 6th graders in Boston Public Schools by having students build wooden rowboats, supplemented by paid summer programs and a national model-boat-kit line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential STEM Education Through Boat Building

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter STEM/STEAM-Focused Schools (EDAJACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Experiential STEM education
• Wooden boat building
• Youth education programs
• Nonprofit educational services
• Maritime hands-on learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Boat Sales: Sale of student-built Periwinkle Jr. rowboats (new $1,000, used $500) and JR Junior model boat boxes ($50). Proceeds directly fund educational programs and materials.
2. Summer Program Registration: Multi-week summer programs for youth ages 7-16. Session pricing ranges from $550-$700 per week, with a two-week Build Your Own Boat session at $1,450.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individual donors and private foundations. CBB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization fiscally sponsored by Third Sector New England (TSNE).
4. Boat Accessories: Sale of oars and oarlocks as optional add-ons to boat purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Boat Building (CBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential STEM education through wooden boat building for approximately 160 low-income 5th and 6th graders in Boston Public Schools each year. Core offerings include in-school boat building curricula, multi-week summer programs for youth ages 7-16, sale of student-built 10-foot Periwinkle Jr. rowboats, and JR Junior scale model boat kits for remote/hybrid math education.

Product overview

Community Boat Building (CBB) is a nonprofit educational organization offering experiential STEM learning through boat building. The core product is the Periwinkle Jr., a 10-foot wooden rowboat designed by Nat Benjamin, built by students in teams of 5-6. Supporting offerings include the JR Junior Model Boat Box (a 1":1' scale model kit for remote/hybrid learning at $50), and the Boston Public Schools Program serving 5th-6th graders with hands-on boat building integrated with curriculum. The Summer Program offers multiple session types including wooden backyard games building, full-size rowboat building, and custom boat design/build programs. Boats are sold to fund educational programs, with new Periwinkle Jr. boats at $1,000 and used at $500.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boston Public Schools Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Harvard-Kent Elementary moved from Level 3 (bottom 20% of schools) to Level 1 (meeting achievement gap goals) after CBB partnership since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvard-Kent Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year partnership (since 2013) integrating boat building into 5th grade curriculum. CBB has become integral to student culture and was a significant factor in helping the school move from Level 3 to Level 1 status.
• Young Achievers ElementarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school where boat building program has shown dramatic impact on student attendance, with one student going from 4 days attendance to perfect attendance for 3 months.
• Haley School (Roslindale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school where Alta Tarala teaches boat building as part of the school program.
• American Yacht Club (Newburyport)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewburyport location for summer program Session #4. Hosted at American Yacht Club's waterfront facility on the Merrimack River. Boat raffled as fundraiser to preserve historic waterfront.
• Jamaica Pond Boat RentalsminorOthersCBB boats used by boat rental operations at Jamaica Pond, where durability has been tested and proven through extensive use.
• Fort Point Channel OperationsminorOthersCBB boats used by boat rental operations at Fort Point Channel, demonstrating durability and quality.
• George Kirby Jr. Paint CompanyminorOthersMarine paint supplier from New Bedford, MA, in business for 175 years. Provides marine-grade enamel primer and paint for CBB boats.
• Gannon and Benjamin Marine RailwayminorOthersMartha's Vineyard boat building company where founder John Rowse apprenticed to hone his skills before starting CBB.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit providing extended learning, career exploration, and experiential 'apprenticeships' to under-resourced middle school students — comparable target population (low-income 5th-8th graders) and STEM/craft apprenticeship format, though at materially larger scale.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Large maritime heritage institution in Mystic, CT with youth boat building, sailing, and traditional craft programs — broader portfolio than CBB but directly comparable in delivering maritime-trade experiential education to youth.

Others

• Iridescent: National nonprofit delivering STEM education to under-resourced youth through family engagement and hands-on engineering — comparable target audience (low-income K-12) and hands-on STEM learning philosophy, though not maritime-specific.
• Boston After School and Beyond: Boston-based intermediary funder and convener of after-school and experiential learning programs — both a CBB funding partner and an ecosystem participant that shapes how experiential STEM programs reach BPS students.

Emerging players

• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: St. Michaels, MD museum with boat building workshops, youth programs, and a working shipyard — overlaps with CBB's experiential maritime education for youth but operates primarily in a different region with a heritage-museum business model.
• Apprentice Mate Training (through Harbor Light & similar maritime youth programs): Maritime-focused youth development programs that integrate boat handling and seamanship for underserved teens — adjacent to CBB's waterfront-access mission for low-income urban youth, though less focused on building/craft.

Direct peers

• The Apprenticeshop: A traditional boatbuilding school in Rockland, Maine offering youth and adult programs focused on wooden boat construction — same craft-based experiential model as CBB and overlapping youth summer-program customer segment.
• The WoodenBoat School: Located in Brooklin, Maine, the WoodenBoat School teaches traditional wooden boat building to adults and youth through multi-day and week-long workshops, mirroring CBB's hands-on, craft-based experiential pedagogy and using similar traditional materials and techniques.
• Northwest Maritime Center: Port Townsend, WA-based maritime education center running youth boat building programs, chandlery, and waterfront classes — comparable mission of preserving maritime trades while delivering youth STEM and craft education.
• The Carpenter's Boat Shop: Nonprofit boatbuilding school in Pemaquid, Maine combining traditional craft skills with personal development for youth and adults — directly comparable nonprofit, mission-driven boat building education model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-boat-building

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Boat Building (CBB)