Our Mission
Our Mission & Values
We invite individuals of all backgrounds, abilities and experience to grow through rowing.
We are committed to our mission of transforming the Greater Boston community by growth gained through rowing. We value Diversity, Belonging and Respect, Personal Growth, and Resilience.
Our Values
- Diversity
- Belonging & Respect
- Personal Growth
- Resilience
Diversity
We believe
- Diversity refers to the makeup of our community.
- Everyone should have the opportunity to access and experience the benefits of rowing and being a part of our community.
- We believe in actively recruiting and including people of all backgrounds and abilities, including those who may not find it possible to access rowing elsewhere.
Behaviors & Guiding Principles
- Embrace diversity in the people we serve, our staff, volunteers and board, welcoming and seeking out diversity in, for instance, race, gender and identity, ability to pay, age, prior experience and physical and intellectual ability.
- Create policies that allow individuals of all backgrounds and abilities to join our programs and our community.
- Build partnerships to connect CRI with the broader Boston community and under-represented populations.
Belonging & Respect
We believe
- Inclusion refers to a culture that allows diversity to thrive. In an inclusive community, people feel respected and a sense of belonging.
- Feeling respected by and connected to a welcoming and supportive community enriches a person’s life and sense of worth. Social support improves emotional, intellectual and physical health.
- It is important that we be good stewards of and citizens in the broader Charles River Community.
Behaviors & Guiding Principles
- Nurture a culture of inclusion, a perception of belonging. There is a place for everyone regardless of ability.
- Expect each member of our community to treat every other individual with respect.
- Ensure fair access to our human and physical resources
- Provide opportunities for each individual to do his/her best work and advance.
- Expect accountability for the care of our people and the equipment we share.
- Ensure through regular assessment that staff and beneficiaries feel respected and have a sense of belonging.
- Expect CRI staff, coaches and rowers to uphold and model our values when representing CRI.
- Expect the CRI community to respect the river, the animals in and above it, and the ecology of the waterway.
Personal Growth
We believe
- Rowing changes lives in diverse ways, such as: the value of challenge, commitment and grit; a connection to the outdoors and nature; the physical and health benefits of exercise; teamwork and camaraderie; the satisfaction of teaching, coaching and learning.
Behaviors & Guiding Principles
- Provide a variety of programs to allow individuals to explore and choose the type, intensity, frequency and atmosphere that optimizes their personal growth.
- Cultivate a culture of developing and mentoring diverse motivations and aspirations.
- Offer programs that, through thoughtful teaching and coaching, provide experiences for growth.
Resilience
We believe
- Embracing rowing and coaching challenges and overcoming obstacles and setbacks are meaningful opportunities for growth, connection and improved well-being.
- Cooperative problem-solving breaks down barriers and builds connection.
- We believe in the power of generous assumptions.
Behaviors & Guiding Principles
- Offer opportunities to face challenges and gain strength and confidence.
- Model creative problem-solving and innovative solutions.
- Create learning opportunities for mastering a broad range of skills.
- Provide opportunities for people to go outside their comfort zone and explicitly teach skills for becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.
- Create a culture that encourages and rewards personal empowerment and personal responsibility.
History
CRI is the only public access rowing organization on the Charles River.
In 1985, a group of people passionate about rowing came together to found Community Rowing, Inc. Our founders shared the belief that our sport provides unique opportunities to promote personal and community growth through teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness.
CRI was the first public rowing boathouse in Boston and remains one of the largest in the United States. It is a national model for similar programs. We have developed programs in pursuit of a future in rowing that is more diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
CRI has enjoyed a strong partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) since 1985. DCR stewards one of the largest state parks systems in the country. It has 450,000 acres of forests, parks, greenways, historic sites and landscapes, seashores, lakes, ponds, reservoirs and watersheds. The health and happiness of people across Massachusetts depend on the accessibility and quality of our green infrastructure—our natural resources, recreational facilities, and great historic landscapes. In partnership with DCR, we continue to strengthen the vital connection between our community and the environment.
