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About Open Waters Network
Building a Hudson River paddling community where cost never determines who learns, who leads, or who feels belonging on the water.
Our Mission
To remove financial barriers to paddlesports education, wilderness safety training, and outdoor leadership development for underserved communities along the Hudson River.
Our Vision
A Hudson River paddling community where cost never determines who learns, who leads, or who feels belonging on the water.
Core Values
Accessibility
Safety
Environmental Stewardship
Partnership
Inclusivity
Leadership Development
Our Model
We leverage existing infrastructure—outfitters, training providers, and instructors—and fund access instead of building our own. This keeps overhead minimal and impact high.
Why Scholarships?
Because cost is the decisive barrier:
- • Equipment packages: $1,500–3,000
- • Instruction sessions: $80–130
- • Wilderness safety training: $350–1,500
- • Instructor certification: ~$700
We remove these financial walls.
What Success Looks Like
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A scout leader obtains safety certification and introduces dozens of youth to paddling
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A scholarship recipient becomes the first Latina kayaking instructor at a Hudson River outfitter
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A veterans group experiences the river for the first time
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Adaptive paddlers access properly equipped programs
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Alumni return as volunteers, mentors, and donors
Our Story
Open Waters Network was founded in Cold Spring, NY in 2025 out of a simple belief: the Hudson River should belong to everyone. Instead of duplicating what works, we fund access to it.
Leadership
Our founding Advisory Board and leadership team are being assembled now.
Interested in joining? board@openwatersnetwork.org
Impact Philosophy
We collect data from Day 1: completion rates, participant satisfaction, career pathways, instructor diversity, and environmental stewardship behaviors. Transparency drives trust.