SerpApi.Org
A Detroit swimming program is helping young people build confidence in and out of the water.
The program is offered through We the Youth of Detroit, an initiative of We the People of Detroit, a nonprofit empowering residents through education and community activism. The initiative combines swimming lessons with leadership development and education about water quality and water rights.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional drowning deaths have risen nationwide, with the agency pointing to pandemic-related disruptions in swimming lessons.
Lottie Spady leads the youth program and said learning water skills and safety is only one of the program’s goals.
"We want them to be aware of how water, which is a human right, how it is impacted by policies or conditions that don't necessarily uphold the fact that water is a human right," Spady explained.
The swimming program serves youth ages 12-19. Now in its third summer, the program ran from May through June at the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit. Spady noted participants also prepare for future opportunities, including lifeguard training. Research reveals some of the steepest increases in unintentional drowning deaths have been among Black Americans.
Haleigh Bonnett has participated in the We the Youth of Detroit swimming program for five years. Bonnett said the lessons can help break generational fears of the water.
"There's a fear in our community of swimming due to past trauma that has been passed down through generation and generation coming back from slavery," Bonnett pointed out. "To teach these children how to swim is a big step."
Spady added participants wrap up the program each summer with a trip to historic Idlewild, where they put their new skills to the test.
"They run and jump right off into the lake. They're kayaking. We have other water recreation sports. They're fishing. We set up little movies under the stars," Spady outlined.
Spady underscored the Idlewild experience helps participants form lasting friendships while connecting with Michigan's rich cultural and environmental history.
