Meet Our Partners

For over four decades ETC has partnered with over 250 agencies and school groups to share exciting and educational adventures with thousands of people with disabilities and under-resourced youth.

Our Partners

Celebrating California State Parks

ETC would especially like to celebrate and highlight our rich partnership with California State Parks.
We simply could not offer our life-changing programs without this collaboration and the access it provides to Angel Island State Park, Tomales Bay State Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, and many other state parks with their incredible historic and natural resources. We thank California State Parks for joining ETC in making the joy and wonder of the natural world and thrilling outdoor adventures accessible to people of diverse cultural, ethnic, and ability backgrounds.

Honoring California Division of Boating and Waterways

For over three decades the California Division of Boating and Waterways has annually awarded generous grants to ETC for accessible and state-of-the-art boating equipment including: rafts, sea kayak, life jackets, and adaptive gear. They have also granted scholarships to ensure that people of all abilities and from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds have access to safe and educational boating on California’s waterways. Visit dbw.gov, for more information about boating safety.

Thanking the California State Coastal Conservancy

ETC is  proud to partner with the California State Coastal Conservancy. We have been receiving essential support from their Explore the Coast Grant Program since the program began in 2013. The California State Coastal Conservancy is a state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. ETC has received generous  Explore the Coast funding to provide educational coastal experiences through our Sea Kayak Program for people and communities who face challenges or barriers to accessing or enjoying the coast. They have also funded the environmental education development of the ETC’s Sea Kayak Program and we are deeply grateful for all of their generous support.

Highlighting an Enduring Partnership with Sea Trek 

Since the inception of our Sea Kayak Program in 1984, Sea Trek and its founder, Bob Licht, have played a special  role in supporting ETC and helping us develop an adaptive paddling program on San Francisco Bay. For over three decades, Sea Trek’s Regatta (the largest paddling regatta on the west coast) has been an important benefit for ETC, annually raising over $20,000 for our Scholarship Fund to serve under-resourced youth and paddlers with disabilities. Galen Licht, Bob’s son, has now taken on the leadership of Sea Trek as CEO and Co-owner, and their generous support continues as a pivotal element of ETC’s success.

Bob Licht speaks to our partnership: “For the past 35 years Sea Trek has supported ETC like family. We believe that they give heart to the sea kayak community and we are happy to be on call when ETC is out on the water with a group if a need arises. Our history together is rich and deep and we look forward to it continuing into the future.”

We would like to make a big shout out to BearVault, who has been a strong partner of the Youth LEAD Program in 2022! BearVault has provided durable and reliable bear canisters for our youth, so students can safely backpack through the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their summer courses and keep food and our wild animals safe and sound! Thank you, BearVault! We look forward to our continued partnership with BearVault to keep our students, and national parks, wild!