In Miami-Dade County, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 14, but a year-old county program is making strides to change that-one swim lesson at a time.
May marks National Water Safety Month and local officials are spotlighting the Zero Drownings initiative, which has already provided swim lessons to more than 2,500 preschool and kindergarten students.
“Swimming in the water, jumping in the water and splashing in the water,” said 5-year-old Jose, who counts swim class as his favorite part of the school day. Jose is learning how to swim, float, and safely enter and exit the water-foundational skills that could one day save his life.
A county-wide effort to prevent tragedies
The program offers free 30-minute swim sessions daily for 10-day periods during the school day, using 14 pools across the county and reaching students from 66 elementary schools.
“We have reached over 2,500 preschool and kindergarten children already from 66 elementary schools utilizing 14 swimming pools all around the county,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
For parents like Sarah Hopkins, the program is a much-needed relief.
“Right before the program happened, we almost had an incident where he went under and I thought he was joking around until I realized he needed help,” Hopkins said.
Confidence in the water and at home
Now, Hopkins says her son is not only more confident but also more cautious around water.
“He’s confident, he doesn’t swim with floaties, he understands the severity of being around a pool, he doesn’t clown around as much and he’s also brought what he learned here to teach his little sister to swim,” she said.
The county plans to continue expanding the initiative with the goal of enrolling 20,000 children by the 2026-2027 school year.
