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<\/a>It was all hands on deck as ICW staff watched over the children in the Brooklyn College pool. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\nIn the past, Central Brooklyn lacked affordable community access to pools or swimming instruction. Today, community partnerships and investments in results-oriented swim instruction aim to reduce drowning risks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Children and adults who made waves of progress throughout the summer dove into the pool for a final day of practice, taking a break for an awards ceremony before receiving their certificates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Executive Director of ICW Michael Randazzo expressed his appreciation to all the participants, including Louis, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, Council Speaker Julie Menin for providing the funding, and Dr. Marcus Richardson, executive director of strategic initiatives at Brooklyn College, for allowing the use of the pool.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe looked at so many pools, tried to get in them. It\u2019s a challenge, but thank you so much for allowing us to use your pool to run these programs that benefit the community,\u201d Randazzo said to Richardson. \u201cUltimately, what we see is a buildup of New York City\u2019s aquatic culture.\u201d<\/p>\n The initial $10,000 for the program was provided by Louis through DYCD. Under former mayor Eric Adams, the City Council Speaker\u2019s Office added an additional $600,000.<\/p>\n The additional funding became available last May, when $5.5 million was dedicated citywide for a series of free \u201cSwim for Life\u201d youth swim classes in honor of Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins, two high school students who drowned off the coast of Jacob Riis Beach in the Rockaways in 2024. Their deaths were among seven drownings at city beaches<\/a> that summer. Both teenagers were from the East Flatbush area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Randazzo said he was thankful that those present had acquired the lifesaving skill of swimming, but he felt the program could be expanded further. He mentioned a recent drowning<\/a> in the Rockaways as an example.\u00a0<\/p>\n Daniel Heredia, a community liaison representing Louis, whose district encompasses Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Canarsie, Flatlands, Kensington and Marine Park, spoke about the need to address swim-instruction disparities. Heredia said that lack of swim-instruction access often leads to teenagers drowning in underserved Black and brown communities.<\/p>\n Heredia also mentioned his office\u2019s involvement in a\u00a0 $141 million investment to open the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center<\/a> earlier this year. The center, operated by the Parks Department, offers water safety instruction in its competition-sized pool. It came about as part of a broader effort to build and renovate public pools borough-wide through the Let\u2019s Swim NYC initiative, launched in June 2024 with more than $1 billion<\/a> in capital investments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a landlocked community,\u201d Heredia said. \u201cIt\u2019s far from the beach, but when our families eventually do go out to the beach and go to other places in the city, we need to make sure that our kids know how to swim because we need to reverse the trend.\u201d<\/p>\n Richardson, who is also vice chair of the Brooklyn College Auxiliary Enterprises Corporation, said he was proud to help facilitate the partnership and reflected on participating in a similar program during his own youth.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat program taught me how to be safe, confident and comfortable around water. It gave me skills that have stayed with me throughout my life,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cWhen I think about learning to swim, I think not only about recreation, I think about safety, confidence, discipline, competition, employment and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Richardson also said it was important for local families to access the college campus, especially for those who may be inspired to attend college later. \u201cThat is what community partnership can do,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can begin with something as fundamental as learning to swim and open the door to confidence, safety, opportunity and a lifelong connection to a place like Brooklyn College.\u201d<\/p>\n Otis Alves, an ICW swim instructor with over 30 years of experience, spoke with the Eagle about the training modules in the eight-lane pool. Red Cross-certified instructors teach students in a four-to-one ratio.\u00a0<\/p>\n To begin, students learn to get comfortable in the water, blowing bubbles and practicing breathing. Then they learn how to do the doggy paddle, front crawl, float on their backs and tread water.\u00a0<\/p>\n At an intermediate level, they learn the elementary backstroke and breaststroke. Finally, they learn the butterfly stroke and how to dive into the water.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people tell me that they never thought they would be doing this or they thought they would never be in the deep water and at the end of the session, they\u2019re deep-water swimming and diving,\u201d Alves said.<\/p>\n<\/a>Michael Randazzo, executive director of the Inclusive Community Wellness nonprofit, stands next to Daniel Heredia and Keturah Jones of Councilmember Farah Louis\u2019 office, along with Dr. Marcus Richardson, executive director of strategic initiatives at Brooklyn College, as they prepare to give remarks. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>From left, Daniel Heredia, legislative and communications liaison; Keturah Jones, director of scheduling and budget liaison in the office of Councilmember Farah Louis; and Dr. Marcus Richardson, executive director of strategic initiatives at Brooklyn College. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>ICW program participants and family members listen intently to invited speakers and partners who helped make the program possible. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>A group photo by the pool of the speakers with ICW board and staff members. ICW board member Francis Pope stands next to Daniel Heredia, representing Councilmember Farah Louis, left. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>ICW Executive Director Michael Randazzo speaking with program participants after the event. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>Parents Kalifa Addison and Doncarroll Green with their two sons, Khari, 5, and Kiano, 4, participated in the program that is for adults and children. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n<\/a>From left: Shekinah Griffith, 18, Deon Hanks, ICW Executive Director Michael Randazzo, Melody Hanks, 6, and Liam Hanks, 7. Photo: Loretta Chin\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n