REMARKS
Expansion of free swim programs
0:13:24
·
122 sec
Council Member Krishnan presents the third point of his five-point plan: expanding free swim programs for New Yorkers. He emphasizes the importance of universal access to swim instruction and highlights recent initiatives.
- One in four NYC children does not know how to swim
- The plan calls for universal access to free swim instruction for 2nd graders
- Expansion of free swim programs for adults is also proposed
- The council member expresses concern about potential budget cuts to these programs
- He highlights a successful $1 million pilot program, funded by the Gray Foundation, teaching second graders in high-need neighborhoods to swim
- The initiative demonstrates the City Council's proactive approach where city hall has not acted
Shekar Krishnan
0:13:24
3rd, we must expand freeze for 3rd, we must extend free swim for all programs to more New Yorkers.
0:13:33
1 in 4 New York City children does not know how to swim.
0:13:38
They will grow up to be adults who are afraid of the water.
0:13:42
The Parks department and the Department of Education should work with nonprofits to ensure universal access to free swim instruction for 2nd graders.
0:13:52
The city should also invest in a significant expansion of free swim programs for adults This is especially crucial since these programs are potentially slated for cuts in the administration's proposed budget.
0:14:04
And private funding was needed to be raised to create news stream programs as a ballwork against what would be a terrible hit to public water safety programs.
0:14:13
And again, just like with our bill to create a pipeline of life cards, an engineer life card core, where city hall won't act, we, in the city council, will do so.
0:14:25
If the response is that the legislation that was passed to teach all 2nd graders how to swim with council member Julie Menin, if the administration won't implement it because they don't have the funds to do so, then we and the city council showed what's possible.
0:14:40
Both council member, Menin and I, worked together with the Gray Foundation and a network of swim organizations, Asphalt Green, the YMCA, Common Point, to create a $1,000,000 pilot teaching second graders in neighborhoods and highest need neighborhoods across the city how to swim.
0:14:59
And when we didn't have pools, like in my own district, to implement that program, we worked with the school to open up their pool to the community, to teach 2nd graders how to swim, a class that was in high demand all summer and into the fall, where city hall will not act, we and the city council will do so.
0:15:19
And show what is possible.
0:15:23
4th, we must build more pools.
