(Wayland,
MA – April 18, 2011)
Wayland
has had a long tradition of swimming excellence with its high school and
recreational swim teams. The teams have won state and local championships
and many of the swimmers have been swimming in town since they were very young.
Wayland High School swimmers are now giving back to a sport they have enjoyed
for many years. A group of 16 High School swimmers (the “Water Warriors”)
has started a swim lesson and water safety program for Wayland METCO elementary
and middle school students at the new Wayland Community Pool.
The
program aims to facilitate greater health, fitness, water safety, academic and
social opportunities for these students while teaching an important life
skill. The program’s goal is for METCO students to develop their swimming
ability to achieve greater confidence and self-esteem. At the same time, student volunteer teachers
will gain leadership skills. The program
should translate directly to benefits in the classroom and school community.
The
idea to begin this program started with Maureen Devlin, a 4th grade
teacher at Happy Hollow School. She noticed that many of her METCO students did
not know how to swim and, therefore, were not able to participate in year-end
swimming parties. Ms. Devlin approached High School sophomore and varsity
swimmer, Isabel Schwartz, with the idea to begin a free lesson program for
METCO students. Isabel conducted some research and found some unsettling statistics:
- In ethnically diverse communities, the youth drowning rate is 2-3
times higher than the national average.” http://swimfoundation.org
- According to a 2010 USA Swimming survey, nearly 70% of African-American
children between the ages of 6-16 have low or no swimming skills – almost twice
the figure for Caucasians.
- Factors such as the physical environment (e.g., access to swimming
pools) and a combination of social and cultural issues (e.g., valuing swimming
skills and choosing recreational water-related activities) may contribute to
the racial differences in drowning rates.” http://www.cdc.gov
Isabel
commented, “When I saw the statistics, I realized that there was a huge need
for this program. I am lucky to have
been a swimmer since I was very little and to have had access to a public pool
in town, but some kids are not as fortunate as me. I thought that starting this program would
not only be a fun experience but may even save a life.”
The
Water Warriors program began in March and runs through mid-June. It is a
once-a-week swim lesson and is taught free of charge for the METCO
students. In its initial year, the program has enrolled 30 METCO students. The program follows the American Red Cross
Learn to Swim Program and aims to reach certain benchmarks. In addition, each week, there is a water
safety lesson which is taught to the students.
“The
program has been underway for a month, and from all aspects, it has been a
tremendous success. I think the High
School students and the METCO students have benefitted equally in their
involvement with this program”, said Janet Schwartz, the program
supervisor. “The High School kids have learned to plan lessons and excecute
them with flexibility. And, the METCO students have made progress across the
swimming spectrum – some getting over their initial fear of water and others
building endurance as they improve their strokes.” All involved are
forging bonds between younger and older, Boston and Wayland, and non-swimmer
and swimming students.
During
a typical lesson, one would observe many levels of swimmers working on
different things, but the sound of laughter is a constant. The most difficult part of the lesson is
getting all of the kids out of the pool at the end. “The girls in my group love playing in the water, but being
comfortable without holding onto anything is the challenge. But they are
eager and determined to learn. I have already seen some of this hard work
pay off through improvements in the first couple of lessons," said
sophomore, Mary Downs.
Mabel
Reid Wallace, METCO Director for Wayland says “The Water Warriors Program is
"Joy in Water." It warms my heart to see the reaction of the
children and their instructors with these wide grins on their faces, from week
to week. Everyone who is involved in this project is to be commended for
their hard work. This is truly a labor of love and a gift that keeps on
giving.”
The
program has been funded to date by private donations and contributions from
Wayland High School, The Village Bank and Gentle Giant Moving Company. Tax deductible donations to support this
program on an ongoing basis can be mailed to Wayland High School, c/o Water
Warriors Club, 264 Old Connecticut Path, Wayland, MA 01778.
For
more information on the program, please contact Janet Schwartz at janetschwartz@comcast.net.
