| Purpose: |
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO ADDRESS THE RISING NUMBER OF ADOLESCENT AND TEENAGE DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO DROWNING IN THE GREATER PROVIDENCE AREA. A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON MINORITY POPULATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOW-INCOME RESTRICTIONS IS THE KEY DRIVER IN SEGREGATED SWIMMING PROGRAMS. RECENT SHUTDOWNS OF LARGE SWIMMING FACILITIES IN NEIGHBORING CRANSTON INSERTS PRESSURE ON POLICYMAKERS AND INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS BROWN UNIVERSITY, TO LEAD WATER SAFETY OBJECTIVES IN COLLABORATION WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. FACILITATING FREE SWIM LESSONS AND THE MEANS OF ESSENTIAL SWIM EQUIPMENT WILL LOWER THE BARRIERS OF ENTRY AND MAKE VITAL GENERATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN PREVENTING DROWNING. BACKGROUND: TEN YEARS AGO, I FORMED THE WATER WISH FOUNDATION, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, WITH THE MISSION OF PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SWIM EQUIPMENT AND SWIM LESSONS TO LOWER-INCOME COMMUNITIES. IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS AN AVERAGE OF 4,000 DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO DROWNING WITH A MAJORITY BEING BETWEEN THE AGES OF 1-4 YEARS OLD AND A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES. WITH LOWER- INCOME COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING DISPARITIES IN POOL ACCESS AND BARRIERS TO ENTRY, SUCH AS GOGGLE REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN LESSONS, GROUPS WITH MINIMAL ACCESS HAVE UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO WATER SAFETY PROGRAMS. DROWNING PREVENTION STRATEGIES ARE UNABLE TO SERVE CERTAIN GROUPS, SUCH AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHERE DROWNING RATES FOR KIDS (5-19 YEARS OLD) ARE 5.5 TIMES HIGHER THAN WHITE AMERICANS IN THE SAME RANGE. ACCORDING TO THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND USA SWIMMING, SEGREGATED SWIMMING POOLS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LACK OF ESSENTIAL SWIM EQUIPMENT ARE THE LEADING FACTORS IN FEAR AND HIGHER RATES OF DROWNING, ESPECIALLY AMONGST LOWER-INCOME MINORITY COMMUNITIES. WITH RHODE ISLAND BEING KNOWN AS THE OCEAN STATE, MANY OF THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES INVOLVE BEING IN WATER, WHICH CONSTITUTES THAT THE STATE PROVIDES A ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE PROPER WATER SAFETY INITIATIVES IN PROVIDENCE AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE. HOWEVER, PROVIDENCE ONLY HAS ONE OLYMPIC SIZE POOL WHICH IS LOCATED AT BROWN UNIVERSITY AND IS CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE ACCESSIBILITY RATE IS FURTHER HINDERED AS MANY PRIVATELY OWNED AQUATIC FACILITIES PRIMARILY GRANT ACCESS TO PAID MEMBERS. SINCE THE 1940S, THE CITY OF CRANSTON HAS BEEN HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLIC POOLS IN THE UNITED STATES BUT HAS SINCE CLOSED AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES. A LOCAL NON-PROFIT, STAGES OF FREEDOM, IS WORKING TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMATIC EXCLUSION OF BLACK AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES FROM SWIMMING AND ALLEGES THE STATE’S RECENT ADOLESCENT DROWNING RATES AS A BYPRODUCT OF IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION OF THE CITY TO BUILD ADEQUATE SWIM FACILITIES. HAVING A POOL IN PROVIDENCE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE CITY’S 64% OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND 40% OF WHITE AMERICAN CHILDREN WITH NO SWIMMING SKILLS. BUILDING A POOL WILL CONSTITUTE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AND TIME TO CONSTRUCT, WHICH LEAVES PROVIDENCE RESIDENTS UNABLE TO ENGAGE IN WATER SAFETY PROGRAMS. BROWN UNIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST INSTITUTIONS IN THE PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY AND PRIDES ITSELF IN GIVING BACK AND LEADING AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY. BROWN’S KATHERINE MORAN COLEMAN AQUATICS CENTER IS THE NEWEST POOL IN THE IVY LEAGUE BUT OFFERS NO PUBLIC HOURS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE UNIVERSITY’S SWIM TEAM HOSTED FREE SWIM LESSONS IN THE PAST BUT CLOSED ITS INITIATIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE MISSION: THE SCOPE OF THE WATER WISH FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROWN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS AND LOCAL SWIM SCHOOLS. OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, I HAVE DISTRIBUTED NEARLY 7,000 GOGGLES WITH THE SPONSORSHIP OF LARGE SWIM BRANDS SUCH AS SPEEDO AND FINIS AND TAUGHT OVER 150 KIDS HOW TO SWIM AT THE OAKLAND YMCA. THE WATER WISH FOUNDATION’S ETHOS HAS LONG BEEN FOCUSED ON BUILDING CONFIDENCE BEYOND THE POOL DECK AND WILL CONTINUE ITS MISSION TO SERVE THE PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY. THIS PAST SUMMER, I COMMENCED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM'S GLOBAL SHAPERS COMMUNITY TO EXPAND THE PROJECT WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND STATE LEGISLATORS. THE LARGE NETWORK OF BUSINESS AND EXPERTISE WILL BE FURTHER AMPLIFIED BY MY MENTOR AND FORMER BROWN SWIMMER AND ALUMNI, DANIEL ISRAEL, WHO IS THE CHIEF FRANCHISING AND LEGAL OFFICER OF GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES. ALONGSIDE INTEGRATING BROWN ATHLETICS TO COMMIT TO EXPANDING ITS OPERATIONS TO ACCLIMATE PUBLIC POOL SPACE, THE TARGET BENEFICIARIES OF THE GOGGLE DONATIONS WILL BE THE PROVIDENCE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND THE LOCAL YMCA. BOTH ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENT BEGINNER AND ADOLESCENT SWIM PROGRAMS THAT LACK THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT AND FUNDING. SERVING AS CAPTAIN OF THE SWIM TEAM IN MY SENIOR YEAR, I AM HOPING TO LEVERAGE MY RELAT |
