DEM Offering $65K in Grant Funding to Communities and Organizations to Provide Free Swimming Lessons to Youth from Low-Income Households

Published on Monday, May 20, 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 offering grants to communities and organizations that provide swimming lessons to children and teens to support additional participation in their programs. 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. 

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 has allocated $65,000 to award via the Water Safety Grant Program, to be awarded for lessons this summer. DEM is seeking proposals from qualified entities to provide scholarships for students learning to swim under the age of 18 who come from low-income households. Applicants must be either a municipality, non-profit organization, or company which already provides swim lessons to students under the age of 18 or an organization which provides funding for free swim lessons. The grant funds must be used to provide scholarships for students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and the awarded entity must have a method for determining students’ eligibility. Eligible students should have 100% of lesson costs covered by this grant funding. DEM will accept applications for grants of a minimum of $5,000 up to $65,000 to qualified applicants based on demonstrated need, to be issued no later than June 30, 2024. Applications will be open until 4 PM on June 7, 2024. For full information on eligibility criteria, details about the program, and to apply, please visit dem.ri.gov/swimgrants.

“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. “I encourage communities and organizations to apply for this funding to 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.”

Among other evaluation criteria, applications will be assessed for their location within one of DEM’s environmental justice (EJ) communities as part of DEM’s commitment to EJ, so that all Rhode Island residents, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, or national origin, have access to natural resource opportunities in their communities. 

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 last week. 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. Making swimming lessons more accessible can help save lives.

A total of 70 Rhode Islanders drowned between 2019 and 2023 with nine drowning in 2023, according to Rhode Island Department of Health statistics. The last drowning at a state property occurred in July 2023 when a Cranston man tried to save two young people who were in distress in the surf at Scarborough North State Beach in Narragansett. The incident occurred at 7 PM with no lifeguards on duty. Before that, another Cranston man, who was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), died while kayaking at Lincoln Woods in July 2022. And before that, a 15-year-old boy drowned while swimming at Lincoln Woods in June 2022. This incident also happened after hours with no lifeguards on duty. 

For questions or technical assistance for applying to the Water Safety Grant Program, please contact Troy Langknecht at troy.langknecht@dem.ri.gov or (401) 537-4150. 

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.