DEM Awards Over $70K in Grant Funding to Organizations to Provide Free Swimming Lessons to Low-Income Youth

Published on Wednesday, August 14, 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI – Responding to the accidental drownings that impact families every year in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that it has awarded grants to ten organizations that provide swimming lessons to children and teens to support additional participation in their programs through DEM’s Water Safety Grant Program. The grant application period was open from May 20 to June 7. During this window, DEM received 17 applications requesting $337,570 in funding. A review committee scored applicants based on their eligibility, qualifications as a swimming or funding organization, program framework, demonstrated need, method for screening students for financial need, budget, and whether the organization is located within one of DEM’s environmental justice (EJ) communities. Learn more about DEM’s EJ policy here. DEM awarded $70,723 to ten organizations that achieved the highest scores:

  • Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket: $5,040
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence – Fox Point Clubhouse: $7,000
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence – Southside Clubhouse: $6,000
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence – Wanskuck Clubhouse: $2,915
  • Cranston YMCA: $8,000
  • East Providence Boys & Girls Club: $4,007
  • East Side YMCA (East Providence): $4,442
  • Pods Swimming (East Providence): $13,883
  • Stages of Freedom (Providence): $13,883
  • YMCA of Pawtucket: $5,553

Capitalized by a line item proposed by Governor Dan McKee in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget which the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted in June 2023, DEM originally allocated $65,000 to the water safety grants but was able to give over $70,000 due to leftover funds from the paddlecraft safety program. The grant funds must be used to cover the cost of swim lessons for eligible students under the age of 18 who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, up to the organization’s grant amount. Formal swimming lessons are a preventative measure that can reduce the risk of drowning. In addition to swimming lessons, children should always be supervised by an adult near bodies of water including beaches and pools.

“The Ocean state is known for its outstanding beaches and over 400 miles of coastline, highlighting the importance that all Rhode Islanders have equitable access to swimming lessons, which is why I proposed this funding in the FY2024 budget,” said Governor Dan McKee. “These grant awards will help our state’s youth learn the skills needed to stay safe in the water.”

“Rhode Island has amazing beaches and freshwater resources that draw people to the water,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “DEM wants to support people who want to cool off, explore, and enjoy the water by guiding them to have fun and be safe. This includes working to decrease the risk of drowning by offering these grants. Our focused goal with the Water Safety Grant Programs is to save lives. We want swimming to be accessible to more Rhode Islanders, and that starts with safety training.”

Drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, following decades of decline, according to a new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs study released in May of this year. Over 4,500 people died due to drowning each year from 2020 - 2022, 500 more per year compared to 2019. The report found over half of adults in the United States have never taken a formal swimming lesson. The report also shows disparities when broken down by race and ethnicity with two out of three black adults and three out of four Hispanic adults reporting never having taken a swimming lesson.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.