THRIVE AGAIN
Children of color ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of Caucasian children in the same age range. Teaching children how to be safe around water is a necessity, not a luxury. Swim lessons at the YMCA will equip youth with the tools they need to be confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends and the sense of achievement when they learn new skills.
CURRENT IMPACT
208 youth in our community developed life saving skills around water in 2020
OUR VISION FOR 2021
To provide and additional 50 children who qualify for free and reduced lunch the opportunity to learn to swim at no cost
- 79% of children in households with income less than $50,000 have few-to-no swimming skills
- As many as 69% of young children who are found drowned or submerged in swimming pools were not expected to be in or at the pool