Syniah, a young person from Brooklyn, did not know how to swim when she joined Swim Corps in 2024. Her goals were to learn to breathe underwater, overcome her fear of drowning, and build confidence. By summer's end, she could swim, float, and laugh in the water, discovering a strength she never knew. This year, she returned as a Group Leader, helping others face the same fear. Your support helps more young people like Syniah find safety, strength, and self-belief.
Drowning is 95% preventable. The problem is that learning to swim is considered a privilege. It shouldn't be that way. In New York City, many young people live by the water but don't know how to swim. In public housing and flood-prone neighborhoods, the fear is real. Without access to lessons, young people remain afraid - and unsafe. Swim Corps changes that by showing them a path to the water and to possibility.
Swim Corps gives NYC young people a safe, supportive place to learn to swim, earn CPR and first-aid training, and build confidence that endures. It's not just lessons - it's belonging. For Syniah, it meant finding her voice, learning to lead, and realizing she could do anything. Your gift helps more young people go from fear to freedom, just like she did.
Syniah is now teaching her peers how to swim, the same ones who once clung to the pool's edge just like she did. That's the ripple effect. Each young person who learns becomes a knowledge-sharer, a leader, a protector in their own community. Swim Corps doesn't just build swimmers. It builds strength, safety, and leadership in neighborhoods where children need it most.
