Thanks to the Finish Line Youth Foundation, Lilly Endowment’s Summer Youth Program Fund and the 2016 Susan Williams CHAMPS grant awarded by the Indiana Sports Corp, children have the opportunity, through 5-6 weekly lessons, to learn how to float, hold their breath, practice strong kicks, and become comfortable in the water. For some kids this is their first experience in water other than a bathtub.
When little Ashley first got into the pool, she was in tears and asked the instructor to put her back on the side of the pool. She was nervous, but her patient instructor continued working with her. By the end of the swim lesson, she had learned to hold her breath underwater and to float with a pool noodle. She was even laughing as the water splashed her.
Not only do the children have fun and get active, they learn skills that could save their lives. Drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 0-4 and the second leading cause of death for children under 14. Our goal for the Summer Water Safety Program is for 90% of children enrolled to be comfortable in the water at the end of the six week program.
“We noticed he was so much more comfortable in the water. He was able to swim away from us, out of arm’s reach, and he is no longer terrified to “bob” under water. Thanks for continuing to provide this safe opportunity for my children to learn to swim from great instructors in a world-class facility.” – Day Early Learning Parent
Thanks to you, our children have fun and learn. You can see that on their faces when they line up for swim lessons.
This article was originally published in Early Learning Indiana’s Fall 2016 Newsletter.
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