Water And Youth Safety Pensacola will welcome  second graders from Kingfield Elementary School and Lincoln Park Elementary School to the non-profit’s 16th Water Safety Day. 

The 2nd graders will have the opportunity to learn about water safety first-hand at the University of West Florida’s Aquatic Center. The event is being held on May 10th, and is scheduled to run from 10am –12:45pm.  The students will learn the basics of water safety and what to do in emergencies involving water.   

Drowning is a leading cause of deaths among children under the age of 14. According to the Centers for Disease Control, among those ages 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.  

With almost 11,000 private pools in our area and almost 24,000 residences located on waterways, water is an ever-present danger to youngsters living here. That’s why Water And Youth Safety Pensacola is sponsoring this spring’s Water Safety Day. 

Under the direction of UWF faculty, pool staff and local swim team volunteers, the students will be able to get into the water and learn how to be safe. For some, this will be their first time in a pool. In addition, the week before the event WAYS volunteers present a classroom lesson on water safety. The program is being provided to the school children free of charge. 

The Pensacola Association of Realtors, the Escambia County Public Schools, the Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club, Sunshine Health, Tobacco Free Florida in Escambia County, and the Santa Rosa Island Authority Lifeguards also support this program. 

Water and Youth Safety Pensacola website:  https://wayspensacola.org/ 

For more information, please contact Charmain Sutherland at csutherland@ecsdfl.us