Water Safety
Mary Thissen-Milder, Physical Education Specialist, Bette Benson, Grants Specialist Coordinator
Angie Kolonich, Science Specialist, Alina Campana, Arts Specialist, Sarah Carter, STEM Specialist, Mee Stevens, Office Administrative Specialist, Nichole Laven, Standards Implementation Manager, Mike Huberty, Math Assessment Specialist, Dawn Cameron, Education Supervisor, Angela Hochstetter, Academic Standards Supervisor, Kate Beattie, Education Supervisor
Bette Benson
$250,000 the first year is appropriated to the commissioner of education for a water safety grant program. The commissioner of education must allocate grants to eligible applicants. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and city and county parks and recreation programs providing swimming lessons to youth. Eligible applicants are not required to partner with other entities. Grant funds must primarily be used to provide scholarships to low-income and at-risk children for swimming lessons. Up to 15 percent of the grant funds may also be used to hire water safety instructors or lifeguards or train water safety instructors or lifeguards in nationally recognized water safety practices and instruction.
Provide scholarships to low-income and at-risk children for swimming lessons. Up to 15 percent of the grant funds may also be used to hire water safety instructors or lifeguards or train water safety instructors or lifeguards in nationally recognized water safety practices and instruction.
Through this program, we had the opportunity to reach 83 children in our school district, ages 8 to 18. At the beginning of each session, each parent was asked to bring their children and stay with them for the hour and a half program, primarily for the safety of the children and to ensure the entire family benefited from this program.
This family interaction also highlights one of the changes to the budget that was approved during the grant cycle. We moved funds approved for transportation to salaries and wages. This enabled us to cover the cost of overtime for the custodians at the school pool facilities and also ensure we have staff covered for all the sessions.
In the swimming class, the children gained confidence and knowledge, and developed swimming skills and techniques such as:
Safety components on the pool rules, blowing bubbles and full face submersion bubbles - mouth & nose. Independent floats:{Front and back), Front glide, Flutter kick w/ streamline Finning, sculling and tread water Freestyle: Arm/Legs Motion/Glide. In addition, physically, they showed an increase in strength, endurance, balance in the water, and flexibility.