Mission

To inspire watershed conservation and improve lives through arts, Education and adventure.

 

Through programs such as First Waves, the Watersmith Guild empowers communities with skills and opportunities to improve their lives and create lasting impacts on local watersheds. These goals are achieved through educational workshops, outreach, and content creation that promotes healthy and active lifestyles, watershed conservation, education in the art of filmmaking and STEAM fields, and diversity in the outdoors.

  • Priorities

    Environmental Literacy

    Waterway Improvements

    Healthy and Active Lives

    Access and Awareness

    Empowered Communities

    Environmental Justice

  • Methods

    Environmental Education

    STEAM Workshops

    Outdoor Adventure

    Digital Media & Content Creation

    The Art of Filmmaking

    Paddleboarding & River Surfing

  • Initiatives

    First Waves

    Aqua Lab Adventures

    Native Mussel Reintroduction

    Tree Planting

    Micro Plastic Analysis / Citizen Science

    Training, Courses, & Events

History

The Watersmith Guild was founded to unite art, science, and adventure as powerful tools for environmental education and community empowerment. What began in 2014 with the launch of First Waves, a first-of-its-kind youth mentorship and conservation program that combines river surfing, standup paddleboarding, filmmaking, and watershed stewardship, has grown into a dynamic nonprofit dedicated to connecting people—especially youth from underserved communities—to their local waterways through creativity, collaboration, and adventure.

Over the past decade, the Watersmith Guild has expanded its First Waves programming across Pennsylvania, including chapters in Greater Pittsburgh, Beaver County, Indiana County, Somerset County, Johnstown, Cambria County, and Erie. Each regional program is developed in partnership with local schools, conservation groups, and community organizations to ensure that programming remains culturally relevant, accessible, and responsive to community needs.

In 2024, the Guild introduced Aqua Lab Adventures, a pioneering environmental education initiative that was developed both as a stand-alone program and as an educational module within the First Waves framework. Designed for middle school students in underserved schools throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region, Aqua Lab Adventures engages youth in hands-on scientific investigation of microplastic pollution while fostering a personal connection to their local waterways and a deeper sense of environmental stewardship.

The Watersmith Guild’s impact has been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in 2023 for First Waves and again in 2025 for Aqua Lab Adventures. The organization was also named Partner of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2015, highlighting its early dedication to youth mentorship and inclusivity.

The Guild’s creative storytelling has amplified its environmental mission through award-winning short films showcased at the World Water Film Festival, Freshcoast Film Festival, Mountain Craft Film Festival, and others, as well as through PBS broadcasts and digital media outlets.

In recent years, the Watersmith Guild has continued to grow its national presence and capacity. It became an Environmental Partner in the global 1% for the Planet network, joining organizations worldwide dedicated to protecting the environment through collaborative action. Additionally, the Guild is recognized as a LEAD Partner (Leaders in Environment, Access, and Diversity) with Northwest River Supply (NRS)—a distinction that reflects its commitment to creating inclusive access to water-based recreation and environmental education.

Today, the Watersmith Guild continues to forge innovative partnerships that merge conservation, creativity, and outdoor adventure—empowering the next generation of environmental stewards to protect, explore, and celebrate their waterways through experience, expression, and action.