EBR Schools and the YMCA of the Capital Area are partnering again to make a big splash for water safety.
A partnership kickoff event was held Sept. 28 at the A.C. Lewis YMCA.
“Today we’re making a splash — not just in this pool, but across our community,” said Sean Elliott, president and CEO of the Capital Area YMCA. “Through our partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, approximately 3,000 school children will have the opportunity to learn swimming and essential water-safety skills-funded through state investment and provided at no cost to students.”
Fourth-graders from Park Medical Academy were among those participating in free YMCA swim lessons during the kickoff event, which concluded with students, EBR Schools Superintendent LaMont Cole and others leaping into the pool.
“Today is so exciting,” said Stacey Adams, YMCA aquatics director. “Now that we’ve partnered with EBR, it’s been great. This gives every child a chance to learn something that’s a life-saving skill. It helps them grow in confidence and learn something that can save their lives and impact their future.”
For children, learning to swim is more than learning a new skill. It can build confidence, encourage healthy activity and provide critical water-safety skills that can help protect them around pools and other bodies of water.
“Drowning is a huge factor in Louisiana. What we do hopefully will save lives that we never know that we saved,” Adams said.
The event also highlighted the value of bringing lessons directly to students, the impact of the partnership and giving children experiences beyond the classroom.
