Sussex Family YMCA sets free swim lessons March 28-April 1

The Sussex Family YMCA announced the launch of Safety Around Water, a program to engage and educate parents about the importance of water safety skills and provide more of America’s youth access to water safety lessons.

To make swim lessons more accessible for all children, the Sussex Family Y will register over 600 children for free swim lessons the week of Monday, March 28 through Friday, April 1. This will be the 11th Annual Water Safety Week, and spaces are filling quickly.

The program will focus on reaching African-American and Hispanic communities in Sussex County, where risk of drowning among children is highest. According to data from the USA Swimming Foundation, 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, compared with just 40 percent of Caucasian children.

While fatal drowning is a concern for all children - it’s the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old - African-American children ages 5 to 14 are three times more likely to drown than their white counterparts.

During the YMCA's annual Water Safety Week, staff and volunteers will be encouraged to help children learn fundamental water safety and swimming skills. During the five-day course, children will learn how to respond if they find themselves in unexpected water situations - from how to reach the water’s surface if they submerge to safely reaching a pool’s edge or exiting any body of water. “In many underserved communities, staying safe around water means keeping kids away from water, but water safety and swimming are important life skills in the growth and development of all children,” said Lydia A. Schmierer, aquatics director at the Sussex Family YMCA.

“All children deserve access to water safety resources that not only could save their lives, but enrich them with an outlet for fun, healthy activity. During Water Safety Week, children as young as 3 years will learn the value of lifejackets and puddle jumpers.”

The YMCA introduced the concept of group swim lessons in 1909. Now, each year in 2,200 pools across the country, the Y teaches more than a million children from all backgrounds invaluable water safety and swim skills. In Sussex County the Y taught over 1,200 children water safety and swimming last year. Through Safety Around Water, the Y hopes to further bridge cultural and access gaps that can prevent some children from learning important water safety skills.

For more information for families interested in learning more about Safety Around Water and how to enroll their child in local Y swimming and water safety classes, go to www.ymcade.org/sussexwatersafetyweek.

To learn more about the Sussex Family YMCA’s swim programs, contact Schmierer or Susan M. Sala at 302-296-9622 or email lschmierer@ymcade.org or ssala@ymcade.org.