Help a Child Learn to Swim to Save Their Own Life

This summer was filled with possibility—for people finding joy in the water, building a deeper connection to it, discovering what they are capable of, and carrying that confidence with them beyond it.

Over the past four months, Rising Tide Effect brought public safety education, access to the water, opportunities to learn to swim, and evenings of community and connection to thousands of New Yorkers. Across the Rockaway Peninsula and beyond, we served young people and families living in NYCHA and affordable housing communities and a domestic violence shelter, as well as boys and young men from St. John’s Residence for Boys. Through free swim instruction and water safety education, 318 participants built confidence, developed lifesaving skills, and experienced the joy that comes with feeling more comfortable in the water. One of those participants was 18-year-old Muhammad, who had never been taught to swim and completed the program with a new confidence and having found a sense of peace in the water.

Our fourth season of Swim Corps expanded possibilities beyond the pool. This summer, 118 young people from across all five boroughs enrolled in our paid, earn-while-you-learn program, gaining swim and water safety skills while preparing for future opportunities. Participants earned CPR/AED and first aid certifications and explored careers connected to water rescue, New York City’s waterways, and the blue economy, while also developing professional and personal skills they will carry forward.

We also expanded Water Wise™, our public safety education initiative, across New York City. Respect the Rip returned to buses and mass transit, while Chapter 2, A Mother’s Voice, launched on June 1. Since the launch of Water Wise™, our public safety campaigns have engaged more than 4.5 million New Yorkers with lifesaving information about how to spot and survive a rip current through “Relax, Raise, Ride,” while reinforcing an equally important message: never swim without a lifeguard. Additionally, nearly 1,000 people gained essential water safety knowledge through our in-person workshops.

From a first swim to a new certification or a lifesaving piece of knowledge shared across New York City, your support made these moments possible. Thank you for helping us create greater access to the water—and to the joy, confidence, safety, and opportunity that can come with it.

Links:

• Water Wise: A Mother's Voice