Kids swimming and splashing around is a common sight in Southern California, but for students in the Escondido Union School District, access to a pool is not always available.
That's why the district is partnering with YMCA Escondido to launch its first after-school swim and safety program. The YMCA's pool had been closed and in disrepair since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So we started working with the YMCA ... and using some of our after-school funds to get this pool back up and running so that we could have our kids come over here for water safety and swim lessons,” Incoming Superintendent Andy McGuire said.
The district used $1.2 million from the state's Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELO-P) to renovate the pool. McGuire said that was something that the community wanted.
"And we saw that also as an opportunity for our own students," he said.
The goal of the program is to give students who normally don't have access to pools a chance to swim and learn water safety. McGuire said many of the students never had the opportunity to learn how to swim or be safe around the water.
"So we wanted to make sure that was one of the many experiences that we were putting together for them, to ensure that they can be safe," he said. "But also just to have fun in the water like so many people do here in the county."
Because the pool is heated, McGuire said the program will run year-round and will rotate weekly between the district's 18 elementary schools.
On Thursday, students from Conway Academy were at the pool. They said the program allows them to have fun in the water with their friends.
“We get to do fun activities in the pool,” fifth-grader Ariah Ledesma said.
Fifth-grader Leonardo Merino said he loves going to the pool but didn't have many opportunities last summer because he was sick.
"Right now, I do have a chance and I'm glad for it," he said.
While both knew how to swim prior to the program, they both learned something new that week.
"They taught us how to do scooping, like ice cream scooping," Merino said, cupping his hand to demonstrate. "Like, you put your hand like this and then you do like this and this,” he continued, making a swimming motion.
“It helps you swim better when you do like the ice cream scoopers," Ledesma said, "Because ... it's pushing you more frontwards when you're putting your, like, your hands in.”
By summer, the district said the program is expected to serve more than 1,000 students.
