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Closing the Water Safety Access Gap in New York City
- Kaitlin Krause
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
Over the past few months, Rising Tide Effect has continued expanding access to lifesaving water safety education through our school-year swim program with third-grade students from PS 9 in Brooklyn. Now in its third year, the program ensures that every student in the class can participate—regardless of financial circumstances or individual needs—so all children have the opportunity to develop foundational water safety skills. Through consistent instruction during the school year, we are seeing encouraging results, including double-digit growth in key skills such as floating, breath control, and propulsion.
Beyond instruction, Rising Tide Effect has also been sharing the importance of water safety more broadly. Our founder and executive director, Kaitlin Krause, contributed to the report of the New York State Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning as a Commissioner, where recommendations were submitted to strengthen drowning prevention efforts statewide. She also participated in a panel at the Center for an Urban Future titled “Putting the Rec Back in Recreation," where she emphasized how recreation centers can lift entire families and the urgent need for society to treat water safety the way we treat fire safety, street safety, and other basic forms of public safety.
During lessons, many students are entering the water with an instructor for the very first time. With supportive and responsive guidance, they learn how to float, control their breathing, and begin developing propulsion through kicking. In one recent class, a student who was initially afraid to be in the water gradually built confidence and began floating with the support of their instructor. By the end of the lesson, they were smiling confidently as they realized they could stay afloat. These moments may seem small, but they represent powerful steps toward preventing drownings before they ever happen.
At the same time, we are preparing for our summer programs—working to expand access, reach more young people, and secure the resources needed to support these lifesaving initiatives. In the months ahead, we will also launch the next iteration of Respect the Rip, our Water Wise™ public safety awareness campaign, timed with the start of the summer season over Memorial Day weekend.
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