A child dies from drowning every 11 minutes in the United States. Mayor David McDavid didn’t sugarcoat that statistic as he welcomed global delegates to Zachary last week. These leaders from many countries including Ghana, Uganda and Viet Nam, along with representatives from the CDC Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, came to the Americana YMCA with a shared goal: ending preventable drowning. 

Here in Louisiana, the threat of drowning is especially real. With bayous, rivers, ponds, and ditches running through nearly every community, the state consistently ranks among the worst in the country for child drowning deaths. Between 2020 and 2022, Louisiana lost 63 children to drowning. Another 47 were hospitalized.

Three years ago, the state took action. A new law now requires every public school to include water safety in its curriculum. In Zachary, that meant a creative new partnership: the school district teamed up with the YMCA of the Capital Area to bring every second grader to the pool for a week of hands-on safety lessons. This partnership has trained 4,000 students in our surrounding parishes to date, and it's exactly what the global representatives came to Zachary to study so that they may implement water safety in their own corners of the world. 

For many students, it was their first real experience in the water. By the end of the week, they could float, find the pool’s edge, and stay calm if they ever fell in. Some even learned to swim. But the lessons went deeper than that.

“The swimming program was a tremendous success last year,” a Slaughter teacher said. “It was incredibly well-organized from start to finish, and both students and teachers absolutely loved the experience. Beyond just having fun, students learned valuable life skills, gained confidence in the water, improved their swimming abilities, and developed a strong understanding of water safety. I also heard from parents who were thrilled that their children had access to such an enriching opportunity during the school year. It was a highlight for many—and something they truly hope will continue.”

Thanks to support from the CDC Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, it has. The program now reaches students in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, and Southern Lab School, with hopes to grow even further. For a state where water is both a way of life and a serious risk, programs like this aren’t just helpful. They’re critical.

"This program is both life-saving and life-changing," says Hollis G. Milton, superintendent of West Feliciana Parish Schools. "We see all kids benefit but especially students who lack basic water safety skills. It is a joy to see students learn how to hold their breath underwater and overcome their fear while watching other students make progress towards becoming proficient swimmers and knowing that all students learn important water safety measures.”

ZCSD Superintendent Ben Necaise concurs. "We are surrounded by waterways here in Louisiana and we are giving students the knowledge they know to navigate them safely." 

Louisiana was chosen by the CDC Foundation's drowning prevention initiative due to these factors. They're using information gathered here to help determine the best ways to teach water safety worldwide. "It's inspiring seeing how much buy in this community has," says the CDC foundation's Amanda Wynne. "It's rare to have this sort of partnership with schools and business owners." 

Those business partners include: Bank of Zachary, Lankmark Bank, Myles Arnold Law firm, Michael Stricklin, Thornton, Musso and Bellemin. 

So the next time you pack up your 2nd grader's swimsuit and send them off to the Americana YMCA, know that they are taking part in something much bigger than just learning water safety - they're helping to set guidelines that will teach children to swim worldwide. Louisiana’s children are leading the way toward a world where no child drowns. If you want to keep those lessons going all summer long, head over to www.ymcabr.org/aquatics for private or group swim lessons at the Y.