For more than twenty years, the Long Beach City College Athletic Department has hosted a Summer Recreation Swim Program that provides support to the Long Beach community with an emphasis on the health and well-being of children in need. To support this program, the LBCC Foundation and LBCC Athletics are offering 100 scholarships for at-risk and underserved youth funded by the Earl B. & Loraine Miller Foundation in July/August of 2022. These scholarships have been given to children in high-need neighborhoods with the opportunity to flourish and develop skills in the pool with life-saving swim lessons. Families have been identified through a partnership with the Munzer Foundation and Pools of Hope in North Long Beach. Many Long Beach residents face high levels of poverty and post-pandemic children are suffering from a lack of exercise and activity.  

Statistics have shown that drowning is the leading cause of death for children one to four years old, and the second leading cause of death for children ages five to fourteen. Two children die every day from drowning. But participating in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk by 88%. Many children in Long Beach, who live in a city that sits on the ocean and is surrounded by neighborhood pools and bodies of water on every block lack the opportunity to learn to swim safely or more importantly survive if they fall into the water. Swimming can save their lives! Long Beach City College has been committed for over twenty years to the development of water safety with the Summer Recreation Swim Program by instilling confidence in children in the water and providing them with the skills they need to survive. Low-income families face significant challenges getting access to recreational activities, many programs do not offer a full scholarship program and LBCC is committed to ensuring that not only does a child receive the skills they need but they are given the opportunity to matriculate to the next level of swimming. The LBCC Summer Recreation Swim Program offers an entry into exercise and wellness to a population that significantly lacks opportunities like this. This unique program can also offer underserved youth the opportunity to be introduced to the sport and auxiliary events within the sport such as diving and water polo with the excellent and expert staff provided by LBCC Athletic coaches and student-athletes. This program acts as a gateway for families to encourage their children to participate in further athletic competitions and provide a bridge to further their education by bringing them to the campus of LBCC and introducing them to new programs.

As families face significant barriers in accessing affordable activities and child-care options for families in need, LBCC is excited to offer a program that supports the underserved population in our community. “As an agent of transformational leadership, programs that deliver equity are close to my heart. By providing access to our Summer Swim Program, we are taking steps toward supporting opportunities for our community that make a difference. Children of Color are often significantly impacted by the historical lack of accessibility to pools and quality swim programs and these scholarships can save lives.” -Dr. Mike Muñoz, Superintendent-President. 

The Long Beach City College Summer Recreation Swim Camp ranges from ages 5-13 and is run by the LBCC Aquatics Coach Bradley Adamson and a team of skilled, trained, and qualified instructors. Studies show that a child who knows how to swim has a positive impact on quality of life. Studies also show that swimming is not just fun, swimming also provides health benefits that can help to keep children healthy, happy, and safe at the same time. Long Beach City College is committed to addressing the needs of the community post-pandemic by supporting the educational, emotional, and health needs of at-risk youth through this unique program by providing opportunities for them  

Long Beach City College is committed to addressing the needs of the greater Long Beach community by supporting the educational, emotional, and health needs of at-risk youth through this unique program by providing life-saving swim lessons at no cost. This program exposes youth to the Long Beach City College campus and provides them with the resources to understand the benefits of the Long Beach College Promise (LBCP). The LBCP is an exclusive partnership for Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) students to receive free tuition and access to an equitable student learning environment, academic excellence, and workforce development programs. For more information about the Long Beach City College Promise click here.

For more information regarding LBCC Athletics please contact Gina Mascaro, gmascaro@lbcc.edu.

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