Students Learn To Swim at City Recreation Centers
Published on April 30, 2024
Several times a year, Pinellas County elementary school students dive into a new aquatic adventure as they swap their sneakers for swim goggles and caps. Instead of their usual physical education class, they head to a local Clearwater recreation center to participate in water safety lessons and learn to swim.
In partnership with Pinellas County Schools, the Juvenile Welfare Board and Clearwater For Youth, Clearwater Parks & Recreation offers these important lessons as part of a proactive initiative to equip children with essential skills for navigating the water safely, particularly important in Florida's water-rich landscape.
“Drowning is a preventable tragedy,” said Recreation Division Manager Sandy Clayton. “We’re committed to providing students with the skills they need to stay safe in and around the water.”
During the two-week program, each student is paired with a certified instructor who guides them through essential water safety skills. Instructors focus on practical skills such as swimming to the pool’s edge, assisting a friend who may have fallen in and basic floating techniques.
"There’s so many different reactions when students first arrive,” said Jillian Sparks, aquatics coordinator.
“There are a lot of kids that are super nervous. There are kids that are already great swimmers, ones that may not have all the knowledge quite yet and some that have never even been in the water before.”
For many of these students, learning how to swim and understand basic water safety measures marks a pivotal moment in their relationship with water.
“Throughout the program, you can see them gain confidence in their skills,” Sparks observes.
As the students wrap up their two-week journey, they not only leave with newfound skills but also with the confidence to enjoy the water safely.
The initiative's success is evident as the city continues to add more participating schools, aiming to increase the number of children equipped with essential water safety knowledge.