Drowning is a leading causes of accidental death for children age 1-14 years old, with African American children drowning at a rate more than five times that of white children. Often times this can be traced back to family members not knowing how to swim, along with lack of access.   

The City of Steubenville operates an outdoor pool where about 75% of the children come from African American families. While these kids spend a lot of time at the pool, a large percentage do not know how to swim. This is important because it has been shown that minority children are five times more likely to drown than other children. Although there are several reasons to explain this difference, including the fears of family members, one of the biggest roadblocks is that many of these kids cannot afford to participate in the program.

Overcoming this obstacle is the driving force behind our Learn to Swim program. This program, which will target African American children, will be offered free of charge to area children ages 3 – 12 years old. The objective of this program will be to teach participants how to be safe in and around water, work on stroke development and of course some fun water games. $2500 will provide services to 80 area youth, however as many children as possible will be served.

Water safety is important for children of all ages and backgrounds, regardless of access. This program will provide free water safety and swimming lessons to minority children, setting them up for safety and success and water fun in their future!