YMCA – Safety Around Water

Problem

The Y-USA is relaunching its Aquatics program. The main components of their program are: Water Safety, Swimming lessons, Water Sports and Water activities. The Y’s Aquatics program is one of the things most associated with the Y and the organization is considered among the leading thought leaders around the subject of Aquatics.

The Y as a part of its social mission has participated in research citing the disparities among urban ethnic youth and white youth concerning water accidents and drowning deaths. Research suggests that barriers to water safety knowledge and swimming include access to pools, lack of transportation, cultural bias against swimming, historic racism that excluded blacks from water/pools, finances, lack of time, and fear of water transferred generationally.

The campaign is meant to increase the awareness and knowledge of water safety and help decrease the number of drowning deaths occurring within urban ethnic communities.

Solution

Develop a campaign reaching African American and Hispanic parents, caregivers and their children on the importance of knowing and practicing water safety, in order to raise their awareness of what they need to know and do to keep themselves and their children safe around/in the water.