Incoming five-year-old students dive into school this summer, thanks to a partnership between Adventures Plus and the YMCA
(8/10/18) Adventures Plus school-age care provides “Adventures Bound” as a summer care option for incoming kindergarten students to ease the transition for the upcoming school year and support them in their adjustment to elementary school; but when families enrolled their children in the program at Andover and Lincoln Elementary School last spring – they may not have realized just how much their little ones would get their feet wet.
Through a partnership with the Greater Twin Cities YMCA, at least 60 incoming kindergarten students enrolled in the Adventures Bound program received free water safety classes as part of the summer curriculum with Adventures Plus school-age care, a program coordinated by Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. Two days a week, Adventures Plus program staff accompanied the five-year-old students on a short walk from Andover Elementary School; or bus ride from Lincoln Elementary School in Anoka - to the Andover YMCA – for a 40-minute water safety lesson.
The Greater Twin Cities YMCA aims to eliminate drownings through water safety education, awareness and by teaching swimming skills. Since 2007, the YMCA has been partnering with community organizations like Anoka-Hennepin Community Education to offer free water safety instruction for youth ages 5-14 thanks to donations from Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization working to safeguard kids against preventable water-based injuries and to educate parents about water safety programs.
Will Ganje, aquatics manager at the Andover YMCA, said that the main focus of the water safety lessons is to teach children how to stay safe around the water. Water safety lessons are not traditional swimming lessons, rather, children learn how to stay safe around lakes, pools, rivers and streams. Students learned personal water safety techniques, as well as what to do if they see someone else needing help around the water.
“The first few days, there were a few students who were unsure about getting in the water or a few students who weren't yet comfortable with participating in all of the activities, but by the time the water safety session was over – all of the students were in the pool – and most of them had become much more confident in the water,” Cindy Lutz, Adventures Plus program coordinator, explained.
Danielle Bowker, parent to twins Hattie and Hudson - enrolled in Adventures Bound at Andover Elementary School, can attest to the confidence that the YMCA water safety classes gave her children. "Up until this summer, Hattie wouldn't leave the stairs of any pool," Bowker explained. "If the pool was round and didn't have any stairs - she wouldn't go in - but now she is swimming like a fish and loves going down waterslides!"
The opportunity to participate in the water safety classes gave children confidence in the water, in addition to providing opportunities to practice life skills needed in preparation for kindergarten.
Liz Burgard's son, Will, attended Adventures Bound at Lincoln Elementary School in Anoka. He and his peers rode the school bus to the Andover YMCA to participate in the water safety lessons. "As a family with two working parents, it was convenient to have the swimming opportunities included in the Adventures Plus child care program - we didn't have to pay extra fees or run him to additional activities on the weekend or after work," Burgard said. "We've also seen a huge change in Will's ability to practice responsibility; he had to get dressed on his own, pack and keep track of all of his swimming gear and belongings, and learn to navigate the school bus and the water with his friends. The program has fostered a lot of independence for him."
Anoka-Hennepin Community Education and YMCA branches across the state coordinate and offer swimming lessons year-round. To learn more or enroll, visit www.ahschools.us/swim to view and register for American Red Cross certified swimming lessons through Anoka-Hennepin Community Education at Roosevelt Community Pool in Blaine; or call your local YMCA branch for details about lessons near you.
Students enrolled in the Adventures Bound program at Andover and Lincoln Elementary Schools benefitted from free water safety instruction at the Andover YMCA this summer.
Related links
Adventures Bound video
Adventures Bound brochure
Andover YMCA
Anoka-Hennepin Community Education
Anoka-Hennepin Community Education - Roosevelt Community Pool
Greater Twin Cities YMCA