LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — More than 100 students from Frankfort Independent Schools visited Lexington YMCAs Monday for free swim lessons.
The 115-second and third graders hit the pool for a full day of swimming instruction, as part of a water safety field trip designed to teach children essential aquatic skills.
"I have a 2nd grader, and he was super excited to go to school in his swim trunks this morning," said Frankfort Independent Schools superintendent Sherri Satterly.
Jessica Berry from the YMCA said the organization has been providing these lessons for more than a decade in Lexington.
"It is exciting to be able to expand our reach to our Frankfort families," Berry said.
The field trip was made possible through a partnership with Swim with Purpose, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Sam Taylor. The organization is dedicated to raising $1 million for the restoration of an indoor aquatic facility at Kentucky State University.
Swim with Purpose also focuses on providing free swim classes for elementary students, addressing a critical safety need in communities where pool access might be limited.
"A lot of kids don't have access to pools, and if you don't have access to a pool, you have a bigger risk of drowning," Taylor said.
According to the CDC, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14. More than half of U.S. adults also report they have never taken a swim lesson.
That's why Berry emphasized the importance of teaching children both swimming skills and water safety awareness.
"We see it all the time, kids may feel like they're comfortable in the water, and they jump right in, and they may not know how to swim. So it's important for us to teach them not only to be safe in the water, but around the water," Berry said.
The entire field trip was provided free of charge, including lunch and swimsuits for any child who didn't already have one. Participating students will receive vouchers for five additional days of free swim lessons, and transportation will be provided.
Swim With Purpose has even received the endorsement of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
