An MIT group has brought inner-city students onto the water as part of a program designed to raise their confidence and achievement.

The program blends athletics and rigorous academics.

Ron Rosenberg, left, and Noam Angrist, center, co-founded Amphibious Achievers. They have recruited 30 mentors for 40 students.

Angrist, right, sometimes starts practice five minutes early, mimicking a tactic he learned from high-powered CEOs.

Students arrive at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. They have two hours of classroom instruction and two hours on the water.

The tutors use games to connect with students in the classroom. One example: "Get Triggy with It," a rap game for trigonometry.

Rowing is foreign for many of the students. “You can’t play pickup rowing,’’ says Angrist. “It’s not like pickup baseball or basketball."

Rosenberg is heartened by reaction from parents who've said their children are "more disciplined" and "happier."