CLEVELAND — Fourth grader Orlando Vega is excited to learn to swim at Cleveland State University’s natatorium.
“It’s awesome,” said the 9-year-old.
Vega, along with other Cleveland Metropolitan School District students, just started the program, but he is already seeing results. “I’m more confident,” he explained.
The program is about to make an even bigger splash. The Cuyahoga County Fresh Water Institute, in partnership with Aqua Missions and Cleveland State University, announced Wednesday that their Learn to Swim program is expanding to include Warrensville Heights fourth-grade students.
Warrensville Heights school administrators said only 20% of their students know how to swim. The program will now provide free water safety education and basic swim lessons to fourth graders in the two school districts.
But there is more to the program than just learning to swim.
“Even though Warrensville Heights have their own pool they’re bringing students down here so that they can appreciate this start of the art facility,” said Lynne Nagy, CEO of Aqua Missions.
“And they get to be on a college campus and see the possibilities of what they can do,” she added.
With Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio’s backyard, water safety is extremely important, said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne.
”One of the motivations within the Freshwater Institute is seeing the tragic statistics of drownings here in Northeast Ohio. We have a disproportionate number of people drowning in our lake and in our pools,” explained Ronayne.
This program, Ronayne said, is to help save lives by teaching children to swim.
Warrensville Heights students are expected to start the program in the spring.
