We Can Swim!
Mission
Founded in March of 2013, We Can Swim! offers free swimming lessons to underserved youth, specifically those of the African American and Hispanic communities who are disproportionately affected by limited access to water safety resources. Our lessons are targeted towards elementary school students from West Philadelphia, ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade. We believe it is crucial that children learn these skills at a young age, which can ultimately help to stop preventable drownings and promote overall water safety.
Why Join Us?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of childhood death in the United States and over 70% of African American children and 60% of Latino children have not yet learned to swim. Our objective is to make as many children water-safe as possible to lower these staggering statistics.
Community
We are located at the Pottruck Gym on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Our staff consists of certified instructors, lifeguards, and members of the Penn Varsity Swimming and Diving Team. Our members and instructors are all unpaid and are strictly volunteers since we are a non-profit organization. Therefore, our costs are covered completely by donations, so help us out if you can!