Youth Group Offers Swimming Classes to Mark National Water Safety Month

Summer vacation has started for Pinellas County school students, meaning thousands of kids will be heading to private and public pools during the next two months. But last year’s test program by CFY, formerly Clearwater For Youth, showed many youngsters can’t swim.

That pilot program targeted Pinellas County families in Title 1 elementary schools and encouraged children grades K-2 to participate in program on water safety skills. It featured 650 students from two area elementary schools and revealed that 80% of the kids had never received water safety instruction and 45% were unsafe swimmers.

This year, CFY expanded the program to include five Pinellas schools—McMullen Booth, Skycrest, Eisenhower, Belleair and San Jose. It also has partnered with the Juvenile Welfare Board, the American Red Cross, Epic Wings, PDQ and the city of Clearwater, with the aim of teaching upwards of 1,100 kids how to swim.  

“The financial obligations per school are close to $15,000, so it takes great partners like JWB and the Red Cross, who are able to assist in the instructor cost, transportation, swim shirts and other supplies,” said Brooke Bennett, the three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer who serves as CFY’s development manager.

CFY Executive Director Kevin Dunbar said officials are “looking forward to expanding the Title 1 Water Safety Program to all areas of Pinellas County (and) are already in discussion with St. Pete, Pinellas Park and Tarpon Springs on how we can add this program to their areas.”

Dunbar also highlighted CFY’s growth over the past two years, which includes investing more than $500,000 in post-secondary education needs for 72 local kids, as well as awarding $175,000 so far this year to help fund youth athletic registration fees, travel grants and athletic equipment purchases.

“I think those are some pretty impressive numbers,” said Dunbar.

For more information on CFY and its youth sports and academic programs, visit cfypinellas.org.

View the article as originally published at https://www.tbnweekly.com/clearwater_beacon/article_15ed2ede-03cf-11ee-bec0-576a7ae85805.html