May Fostering Connections
Each year, about 4,500 kids take swimming lessons or take part in Swim for Life at our YMCA. That’s 4,500 children who are safer around water and more confident because of it. Learning to swim isn’t just about safety. It’s about building confidence, and confidence plays a big role in helping kids become resilient.
I still remember earning my Guppie certificate at the YMCA in Fayetteville in the early 1970s. I had to pass swim tests that once felt intimidating. When I finally did, I felt incredibly proud — like I could do anything. That moment stuck with me because it wasn’t just about swimming. It was about believing in myself.
May is Water Safety Month, and it’s a reminder of why this work matters so much. At the YMCA, we support water readiness from the very beginning, offering parent–child water experiences for babies as young as 6 months. Beginning at age 3, children can take age appropriate swim lessons focused on water safety, basic strokes and building a lifelong love of water activities.
But here’s the big question: What if we didn’t stop at 4,500 kids?
Our 2030 Strategic Plan is built around three critical outcomes, one of which is making sure every child and teen we serve is resilient. By 2030, we want 100% of children in YMCA youth programs to have access to water safety lessons. That includes school programs, youth sports, Track Out camps and other youth experiences that reach kids where they are.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death for children. Swim lessons work. Water safety education saves lives. And when we combine those lessons with encouragement, consistency and community support, the impact is lifelong.
Every child deserves the pride of earning a Guppie certificate. And every child deserves to feel safe, strong and confident — in the water and in life.
