CHICAGO – After hosting free swimming lessons at the end of April, UIC Swimming and Diving program have made a tremendous impact in the Chicago community through its Swim Safely Series with the No More Under Foundation.
Hosting the Swim Safely Series at the Flames Natatorium, 57 children were given free swimming lessons taught by 33 volunteer UIC student-athletes in the program throughout the entire five days that were offered.
The statistics of the Swim Safely Series have returned, and the impact is profound:
- 440 families were left on the wait list.
- 70 percent of the participants came to their first swim lessons at the Swim Safely Series
- 89 percent of families attended four of the five days
- 93 percent of participants learned independent breath control
- 66 percent of participants learned how to roll and float independently
- 85 percent of participants who could not perform a self-rescue learned assisted or independent self-rescue by the final day
- 26 percent of participants, who could not initially self-rescue, learned to independently self-rescue
- 100 percent of participants say they would repeat the Swim Safely Series.
- Participants found the program 4.7/5 beneficial.
- 90 percent of participants intend to take more swimming lessons.
"The Swim Safely Series was a wonderful week for our team," lead head instructor and recent UIC graduate
Taira Juronis said. "The opportunity to give back to these kids in the best way we know how, by providing lessons on how to behave safely in and around water, was transformative. There is an extreme number of unintentional drownings occurring each year and if we were able to save potentially save 57 lives, I am unsure if there is a better feeling than that. These kids faced one of their biggest fears head on with even bigger smiles on their faces. I am filled with so much pride and gratitude for my teammates. They put in so much of their time and effort into hosting such a successful event!"
"Partnering with the No More Under organization to run the Swim Safely Series at our pool was an incredible experience for both our student athletes and the families involved," head coach
Ashley Dell said. "Water safety is an extremely important skill and I'm proud of our student athletes for their positivity, enthusiasm and hard work. There is nothing quite like sharing your passion with community members and families who might've otherwise not had the opportunity to learn. This team changed and saved lives that week. We look forward to continuing our partnership with No More Under!"
No More Under is a nonprofit organization dedicating to saving lives through water safety education, legislation and increasing equitable access to swimming lessons and tools. The
Swim Safely Series is designed by former college swimmers and aquatic experts, delivered over five consecutive days, typically in the college aquatic facility, meant to serve as an introduction to water safety education and skills.
For more information, fans are encouraged to visit
UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (
@UIC_SwimDive and
@UICFlames) and Instagram (
@uic_swimdive and
@uicflames).
#ChicagosCollegeTeam
