Not Everyone Knows How to Swim

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A quick glimpse into the Ransom Everglades Aquatic Center where Breakthrough takes place.

Marcella Orlandini, Writer
February 9, 2023

Breakthrough Miami to Address ILS Student Body

Want to be a part of a movement to help others? Join the F Block assembly Monday, Feb. 13 in the BlackBox Theater where representatives from Breakthrough Miami, an academic enrichment program that uses a student-teaching-students model to ensure that motivated, under-resourced 5th – 12th grade students have access to excellent educational opportunities, graduate from high school on time, and attend college, will be there to encourage ILS students to join in their efforts. If you filled out the survey during Thursday, Feb. 9th’s F Block indicating you wished to participate, you will then be able to learn more.

Most of us rarely find ourselves in the circumstance where we are out and about with our friends or family at a pool, beach, or lake and suddenly turn around and come to learn how that one person can’t get into the water because he never really learned how to swim. 

Which is why in fact, in our society an injustice that does not receive as much attention as it should, is the way impoverished children grow up not having the possibility to experience the lessons of water safety, causing these less fortunate kids become the victims of drowning. Learning how to swim is an important life skill that individuals use and bring all the way through their older years. Overall, the advantages of water safety make you not only have more enjoyable moments playing around in the water with your friends, but it can also come in handy in a life or death situation. 

During summer break, Ransom Everglades School along with the organization ‘Breakthrough Miami’ form a sort of summer camp for these children who are unable to swim. It’s a program that occurs every Friday for about five weeks. Given the number of children who participate at this camp, it is the Ransom Everglades High School Swim team, Water Polo team and the Aquatic Club members who in smaller groups teach the kids about water safety as it is easier for the kids to receive more attention to transform their biggest disadvantage to a lifetime of advantages. 

Why should Ransom have the upper hand in helping our community?

Just because ILS cannot offer a pool, we have a Bay. With this our school can take the initiative to help these kids learn how to swim in open waters using student volunteers to assist. As the bay is very shallow, adult supervision can be leld by teachers or parents kayaks, making it easy to flow in the water from group to group. 

Through this measure, ILS will be able to help the Coconut Grove community grow through the virtue of equality.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids between the ages of 1-4. Additionally, it is the second most common cause of death for kids aged 5 to 14.

Breakthrough is a global human rights group that is promoting the cultural shift required to create a society where everyone may live with respect, equality, and dignity.