With heatwaves scorching the city and air quality plummeting, New Yorkers are increasingly diving into pools as a refreshing escape. But as the demand for cool waters rises, so grows the awareness of pool safety and accessibility.
Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign, granting free access to all New York State pools. This initiative includes a $1.5 million grant to the ‘Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation Grant’ program as part of the NY SWIMS initiative.
Introduced in January, NY SWIMS has made a historic investment of over $150 million to expand and improve accessibility to recreational aquatic activities, marking “New York’s biggest investment in swimming since the New Deal.”
One beneficiary of NY SWIMS, + Pool, aims to increase access to swimming by utilizing New York City’s rivers. What began in 2010 as a pitch from four designers to create a water-filtering swimming pool has evolved into a significant nonprofit supported by New York Ciy and Governor Hochul, raising over $300,000 to reimagine and restore control over New York’s natural waterways.
In addition to this project, + Pool’s Learn to Swim programs have taught over 1,000 children from underrepresented communities effective water safety habits and swimming skills. Nora Cronin, program director at + Pool, emphasizes the importance of promoting inclusivity within aquatic programs.
“The success of these free programs can largely be attributed to offering programs near where children live and close to public transit. Not surprisingly, these areas often correspond to locations that have a lack of affordable swim programming,” Cronin told the AmNews.
As beach drowning incidents rise, with deaths already matching last year’s total, more New Yorkers are turning to pools for safer swimming options. However, the national lifeguard shortage also impacts pools, with only a third of the New York City lifeguard quota being filled, even as pool hours extend into the evening. Shawn Slevin, founder and president of the Swim Strong Foundation, calls for a cultural shift towards pool etiquette and aquatic safety.
“The responsibility lies on us to make those good decisions,” Slevin told AmNews.
Swim Strong has been a vocal advocate for inclusivity and education in aquatic safety. Slevin pointed out that drowning is a global epidemic and the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4, with an average of 3,960 drownings per year in the U.S. These tragedies disproportionately affect underprivileged communities due to barriers in accessing aquatic safety knowledge. Swim Strong’s initiatives, including the “Know Before You Go” courses and the “Blacks Can’t Swim” documentary series, aim to address these issues and dispel racial stereotypes.
“Regardless of the color of our skin, we are in this risk together, and we will rise out of it together,” Slevin said.
As more New Yorkers turn to pools, ensuring safety and accessibility remains a priority. Advocates across the state are stepping up to establish a promising future for swimming culture in New York.