"The USA Swimming Foundation and the YMCA partnered in an effort to 'bridge the gap' between water safety education and activation. Research tells us that if a child doesn't learn to swim by the third grade, they likely never will," said Chris LaBianco, chief development officer for the USA Swimming Foundation. "Swimming is more than a recreational skill, it's a skill that can save lives, and it is vitally important that we provide this opportunity to kids from all socio-economic groups at an early age."
Make a Splash water safety curriculum will be available for students at 10-20 schools in each market, and will target children who are included in the free or reduced lunch program. Through the partnership, children will have access to one session of eight swimming lessons for a nominal fee of five to 10 dollars. Children who do not participate in the reduced lunch program are also encouraged to participate and can apply for financial assistance at the YMCA.
The YMCA of the USA will provide the instructors and pool time, while the USA Swimming Foundation will back the program financially through "Sponsor a Swim Lesson," the fundraising arm of Make a Splash. Both organizations have dedicated $30,000 each to support the program.
"The YMCA learn to swim program is designed to teach water safety skills and basic stroke mechanics. Most children who participate in these lessons develop skills to become safe in and around the water," said Mike Eubank, Program Director, National Competitive Sports Events for YMCA of the USA. "I'm thrilled that through this partnership, we are taking an active approach to educating children on the health benefits and enjoyment of a lifelong skill like swimming."
"This is exactly the type of partnership that lets us reach kids in a way that will help keep them safe and improve their quality of life," said LaBianco. "In addition, we will have Olympic hopeful swimmers speak to children in each market to help to further demonstrate the benefits of learning to swim."
For more information on Make a Splash, or to sponsor a swim lesson for a child, please visit www.makeasplash.org. For more information on the YMCA of the USA, please visit www.ymca.net.
About Make a Splash
Make a Splash is a national child-focused anti-drowning initiative created by the USA Swimming Foundation which operates by aligning the nation's top learn-to-swim resources in an effort to save lives. Make a Splash educates parents through a national awareness campaign, saves lives by joining forces with grassroots learn-to-swim programs and reaches thousands of children through wide-reaching in-school materials. The program exists because nine people drown each day in the U.S., and in ethnically-diverse communities the youth drowning rate is 2-3 times higher. For more information, visit makeasplash.org.
About the YMCA of the USA
YMCA of the USA is the national resource office for the nation's 2,663 YMCAs, which serve nearly 20.2 million people each year, including 9.4 million children under the age of 18. Through a variety of programs and services focused on the holistic development of children and youth, family strengthening and health and well-being for all, YMCAs unite men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs have proudly served America's communities for nearly 160 years by building healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Visit www.ymca.net to find your local YMCA.
About the USA Swimming Foundation
Respected for its mission, its strength of programs and its record of excellence, USA Swimming is a blue-ribbon institution in both amateur athletic and community service arenas. Through USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation, millions of America's youth have been introduced to the sport of swimming and have experienced the life-altering power of the sport - they see it manifest itself in ways such as safety, health and fitness, academic achievement, improved social skills, discipline, focus, community leadership and eventual personal and professional success. Based in Colorado Springs, the Foundation is governed by its own board of directors and is managed by USA Swimming staff members.
