116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids continuing partnership to give second-grade students free swim lessons, attire
Approximately 157 students from Johnson STEAM Academy, Garfield Elementary and Cedar River Academy participating this year
CEDAR RAPIDS — Under a continued partnership with the city of Cedar Rapids, second-graders in the Cedar Rapids Community School District have an opportunity to learn how to swim for free.
Background
The program gives students a break from their normal schedules to go to Bender Pool through a partnership between the school district and the city to give second-graders free swim lessons. They also are provided with free swim attire that they can keep.
Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Director Hashim Taylor previously said the department has seen three barriers to using the city pools — lack of transportation, swim attire and finances. The effort is a way for the city to promote equity and break those barriers to people being able to use Cedar Rapids’ six public aquatic facilities.
“Teaching them how to be comfortable with water is very important,” Taylor said. “They get the necessary swim attire that's appropriate for the pool, so once they get acclimated with water and introduced to the water, they're able to go to the swimming pools and participate.”
It started last year with 54 students at the Cedar River Academy, a magnet school in the Cedar Rapids school district.
What’s happened since
The program’s second year started in February with Johnson STEAM Academy second-graders and has grown with more students and schools participating.
City swim instructors will provide lessons to approximately 157 second-grade students this spring from Johnson STEAM Academy, Garfield Elementary and again the Cedar River Academy. Classes are held at Bender Pool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in February, March and April. Each school receives lessons for one month.
Cedar Rapids Parks Foundation and Cedar Rapids Kiwanis Club offer support of this program. The school district provides transportation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4. For children ages 5 through 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death, after motor vehicle crashes.
Black children ages 10 to 14 drown at rates 7.6 times higher than white children in swimming pools. Additionally, Black children and youth are more likely to drown in public pools, while white children and youth are more likely to drown in residential pools, according to the CDC.
“I just appreciate the school district's involvement and willingness to be a part of this because it's huge, and second-graders should have these skills, having a large body of water in the middle of the city,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who started his parks and recreation career as a lifeguard, said this program can help youth enjoy being around water with the appropriate skills early in life. Noting Cedar Rapids’ need for seasonal workers to staff aquatic facilities and other parks department needs, he said this program could influence the direction of their careers.
“Whether you're in high school or college or what have you, you can go work in a pool and remember that experience you had at an early age, and opportunities are endless,” Taylor said.
Those looking to learn more about the program may contact Recreation Superintendent Tony Ireland at t.ireland@cedar-rapids.org to learn more.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
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