North Adams Third-Graders Get Free Swimming LessonsBy Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
05:41PM / Sunday, January 15, 2017 | |
Kids splash at the YMCA last Tuesday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — All North Adams third-graders will be provided free swim lessons through a donation from All Saints Episcopal Church and the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA.
According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages 1 through 14.
But through donations from the All Saints parish, all North Adams third-graders will learn a life skill that could save their lives.
"The goal of this program is to get every third grader to know how to swim because that is the age and the grade where the most drownings occur," YMCA CEO and Executive Director Randy Kinnas said. "In our area, there is a lot of open water and a lot of backyard pools and … one of the big misconceptions is that most drownings occur in the deep end but most drownings happen in the shallow end."
Every Tuesday after school, third-graders are bused to the YMCA next to Brayton School for free lessons. Students learn in small groups throughout the afternoon.
The swim lessons are funded by the church's Children's Fund that has been supported through weekly loose-plate donations from parishioners and boosted by a $10,000 donation made by Senior Warden Bob Blair and his wife, Linda.
School Committee member John Hockridge said the program exemplifies the district and the community working together to better the community.
"This is an example of what can happen when the community partners with the school district and help the kids' success," he said. "I applaud All Saints for supporting and funding this initiative."
Kinnas said the program is the first of its kind in the city and although they have attempted to secure grant funding for it in the past, they were never able to bring it to fruition.
He added that it is the hope to make the program sustainable so generations of North Adams children will be able to swim.
"By the time this group of kids is into Grade 12, we will have years of kids that know how to swim," he said. "This is a life skill that kids need, and being able to swim … it is a skill that will be with them for a lifetime."
Noella Carlow, the school system's 21st Century site coordinator, said the program will run for eight weeks and she hopes to one day bring it into the day program.
She also thanked retired Superintendent James Montepare and current superintendent Barbara Malkas for their strong support of the after-school programs.
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