PHILADELPHIA, PA — The American Red Cross is urging families to enroll children in swim lessons and review water safety practices before the summer season, as the organization expands drowning prevention programs and community partnerships across the Philadelphia region.
The campaign comes as pools, beaches, lakes, and water parks prepare for increased seasonal activity, with the Red Cross emphasizing that formal swim instruction and active supervision remain among the most effective tools for reducing drowning risks.
“Before families head out to pools, parks, beaches or anywhere with bodies of water, it’s important for all family members to learn and review critical water safety skills,” said Jennifer Graham, chief executive officer of the Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region.
The organization said more than 2.5 million people participate annually in Red Cross aquatics programs, which include swim instruction, water safety education, lifeguard training, CPR certification, and emergency response preparation.
According to the Red Cross, its water safety initiatives have contributed to a nearly 90% decline in accidental drownings nationwide over the past century.
“Most drownings happen when the child isn’t even supposed to be near or in the water,” said Connie Harvey, director of Aquatics Centennial and Survival Programs for the organization. Harvey said preventing unsupervised access to water and maintaining constant adult supervision are critical layers of protection.
The Red Cross advises that children and inexperienced swimmers wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets near water and recommends that swimmers never enter the water alone.
The organization also renewed focus on its Longfellow’s WHALE Tales Water Safety for Children program, which was recently expanded with a fully localized Spanish-language version. The program provides free educational materials for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, including lesson plans, videos, and activity sheets covering safety practices for pools, lakes, rivers, oceans, and water parks.
The Red Cross said educators, caregivers, and swim instructors can access the materials free of charge as part of broader efforts to improve water competency before peak swim season.
Philadelphia last summer joined nearly 100 U.S. cities participating in the organization’s Aquatics Centennial Campaign, which aims to reduce drowning rates through expanded swim lessons, CPR instruction, and lifeguard recruitment.
In Philadelphia, the campaign includes free swim lessons for families, teens, and adults during extended pool hours, along with water safety and CPR training for parents and caregivers.
The initiative, launched in 2014 to mark 100 years of Red Cross leadership in swimming and water safety, has delivered nearly 159,000 swim lesson packages nationwide and certified more than 6,500 junior lifeguards, lifeguards, and water safety instructors, according to the organization.
Additional information about water safety programs is available at American Red Cross Water Safety Resources. Information about the Aquatics Centennial Campaign is available at American Red Cross Aquatics Centennial Campaign.
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