MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami-Dade County officials updated the public on the first year of a program that has provided free, school-day swimming lessons to thousands of children across the county.
County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres and others gathered at Marva Y. Bannerman Park to update the community on the accomplishments of the program so far.
“We are surrounded by water. That’s our blessing and unfortunately for our young children, it’s a curse,” said Levine Cava.
“Approximately 1,500 of our kindergarten students already have gone through the program,” said Dotres.
One of those children is 5-year-old Jose, who’s currently enrolled in the program to learn how to swim.
He said the lessons occur as part of the school day, even at times during lunchtime.
Officials said drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-14 years in South Florida.
They added the program aims to provide swimming instructions to 20,000 children a year beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Several swim safety tips were provided at the press conference to keep children safe: assign lifeguard duties, avoid distractions, teach children water safety, remove toys from pool when not in use.
“I will make sure that this message gets out to every single one of our constituents in the city of Miami, so that we actually achieve zero drowning,” said City of Miami Commissioner Christine King.
For more information on swimming lessons and tips, click here.
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