Students at Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy in Dallas participated in a new eight-week swimming program designed to teach water safety basics and prepare participants for potential career opportunities. Integrated into the school's recreation and outdoor activities curriculum, the program was adapted to each student's skill level in collaboration with the YMCA.
The initiative began with a placement test in a pool ranging from nine to eleven feet deep. Students swam from one end to the other to determine their appropriate group. Beginners focused on breath control, kicking while holding the pool edge, breathing rhythms, and floating. Advanced swimmers mastered complex strokes and advanced floating techniques before completing an evaluation involving consecutive long swims.
Ivory White, a teacher at the academy, noted that the program served as an introduction this year, with a focus on formal lifeguard certification in the upcoming school year. "This year was introductory, but in the future our main goal will be formal certification," White said. "We want to structure it so students can learn advanced swimming. Now my focus is evaluating which new students could reach the advanced level."
Advanced students who already knew how to swim assisted their peers. They paired with those who had fewer skills, guiding, motivating, and encouraging them. White explained that students discussed what they were learning and reinforced those skills through this peer-to-peer support.
