WATERPROOF OUR YOUTH

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Aquatic Capital of America is proud to fund swim lessons for local youth as part of our mission to eliminate drowning injuries and deaths. According to the CDC, in the United States, more children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. For children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause.

Waterproof our Youth has provided over 1,000 swim lessons to children since its inception in 2018. We have expanded our reach with new collaborative partners to provide 300 lessons in 2024. The Aquatic Capital of America is seeking new donors to meet the growing demand in our underserved communities.

Our Mission:

To seek like-minded drowning prevention programs that focus on teaching youth in underserved communities how to survive in the aquatic environment

For:

Long Beach Unified School District reports the total number of enrolled students to be near 70,000. Of this total enrollment, approximately half are ESL learners, disadvantaged and foster youth. This is the target group to receive swimming lesson scholarships from The Aquatic Capital of America Foundation.

By:

Our decorated board of directors and members has given Aquatic Capital the ability to expand its mission and team. Our current collaborators and partners include: YMCA, Port of Long Beach Foundation, Long Beach City College Foundation, Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation, Munzer Foundation, Pools of Hope and The Swim Guy.

The Girl Scout Project

Poly High School student arranges swim lessons for 92 other students

To support the community and the Aquatic Capital’s goals, Poly High School student, Catherine Som de Cerff, initiated an outreach project in the spring of 2023. Long Beach students, who couldn’t afford swim lessons, were given the opportunity to enroll in Long Beach Parks and Recreation swim lessons through a scholarship funded by the Aquatic Capital of America. Students enjoyed eight, 30-minute lessons free of charge to prepare them for the summer. Additional funds were collected from the Poly High School Swim Team and others to cover the cost of goggles and swim caps for students who needed them. In total, 92 students received a session of free swim lessons. These students benefited by learning life-long water safety skills, reduced their risk of drowning, and are better prepared to pursue aquatic activities.

Catherine Som de Cerff

completed her Gold Award project and provided free swim lessons to 92 students in Long Beach. She worked with Aquatic Capital of America and Long Beach Parks and Recreation to create a scholarship that allowed Long Beach students to learn to swim and gain water safety skills