SPOKANE, Wash. — Six Rogers High School students are learning vital swimming skills through a new program aimed at preparing them for lifeguard certification.
The initiative, developed by the Spokane NAACP Health and Wellness Committee, in partnership with Rogers High School, Slingshot, Spokane Parks Foundation and the Inland Northwest Central Branch YMCA, seeks to address disparities in access to swimming lessons among historically marginalized communities.
David Moore, a sophomore at Rogers High School, is one of the students in the program.
“They’re supplying kids with what they need to be better at something they want to be better at. And in this case, I get to be a lifeguard, which I’m really happy about,” Moore said.
Moore and fellow student, Daniel Rodriguez, are both taking the swim lessons ahead of official lifeguard training.
The NAACP launched the program last year, but soon realized many students could not pass the lifeguard test due to limited swimming skills.
According to the CDC, Black children ages 10 to 14 drown at a rate 7.6 times higher than white children. The USA Swimming Foundation also reports that 64% of African American children have little to no swimming ability.
To combat these statistics, the NAACP began offering swimming lessons earlier in the year.
“We didn’t want the students to have any barriers, so there’s no charge for the students,” said swim instructor Elin Zander.
Students are provided with everything they need, from their YMCA membership to their gear.
Over the past few months, Moore and Rodriguez have already made significant progress.
Moore recently completed the “brick test,” swimming 20 yards on his back while holding a 10-pound brick on his chest—an exercise he could not accomplish just months ago.
Rodriguez said the program provided him with an opportunity he might not have otherwise had access to.
“My parents couldn’t really afford for me to go to these places a lot, so the only time that I would swim was like during the summertime,” he said.
Both students begin their five-week lifeguard training on Friday and hope to be certified by the end of May.
Rodriguez plans to attend Western University and said he hopes to find a job at the campus swimming facility. Moore said he is looking forward to helping his community over the summer.
The Spokane NAACP hopes to expand the program to other schools next year, aiming to provide at least 10 students of color with access to swim training and help close the gap in water safety skills.
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