BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN – In partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation, The Roeper School once again offers the nationally recognized Make A Splash program to Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county children. Studies show that African American and Hispanic/Latino children are two to three times more likely to drown than Caucasian children. The Roeper School is dedicated to teaching these diverse children aged 3-14 years swimming and water safety skills in an effort to eliminate this risk. Now in its 6th year offering Make A Splash, The Roeper School has instructed over 600 children.
The Detroit News recently reported that the accessibility of public pools is declining in Detroit. As access to facilities becomes a challenge, fewer children learn how to swim leading to a greater need for instruction. The Roeper School understands this need and is the only independent school in the state of Michigan to offer this outreach to its neighbors. The school uses its own funds to support the program and, consequently, relies on a large team of volunteers to bring the program to life. Every summer, members of swim teams are invited and join in this worthy community service opportunity.
In an effort to reach as many children as possible, The Roeper School has partnered with Alternatives for Girls and offers transportation to and from the Roeper pool. Opportunities to partner with other groups are welcome.
Carolyn Lett, Roeper Diversity Coordinator, stated, “The Roeper School has always embraced and promoted diversity and our participation in the Make A Splash program helps in a large way to fulfill our mission.” For more information and testimonials, view The Roeper School’s Make a Splash video and flyer.
The 1-hr group lessons will take place Monday through Friday, August 17th through August 21st and are offered between 9am-3pm. Children are grouped according to ability with a 1:7 instructor-student ratio. The cost is only $10.00 per child thanks to the support and generosity of The Roeper School and its community.
To reserve a space, email Carolyn Lett at Carolyn.lett@roeper.org by July 17, 2015. All participants MUST attend the open house/registration on Saturday, August 1, 2015. New family registration will be held from 9:30am until 11:00am. Returning family registration will be held from 12:30pm until 2:00pm.