CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- It's been said one of the most important things you can teach your child is to swim.
"We have discovered that if you get kids into swim safety lessons by second grade it makes a huge difference," said Howard Schultz President, CEO, North Suburban YMCA.
"It's amazing how many kids have never been around water. It's also amazing how many adults have never taken swim lessons themselves so kids have never been exposed to pools, never been around water, never been around lakes and they don't know what to do."
Schultz said the new "2 Seconds 2 Long" program teaches children, what to do when near water.
"We do it through assemblies. We partnered with seven schools in this round, schools in Northbrook and Wheeling. We now have over 2,400 kids that we have reached in the assemblies with more to come," he said.
The 2 Seconds 2 Long assembly is aimed at children in kindergarten through third grade, with interactive programs educating kids on the importance of water safety.
"We do it through skits. They are entertaining and kids become swim ambassadors, they're engaged and make a pledge that they will become ambassadors and learn about swim safety," Schultz said.
"We are finding that people love these assemblies. Now it's a matter of getting people enrolling in our swim programs. We expect growth in swim lesson programs this Spring and Summer," he said
The 2 Seconds 2 Long program has been in development since the Fall of 2017, with beta testing in the Wheeling School District in January of 2018. The Y officially kicked off the program in the Fall of 2018, and has completed school assemblies with Meadowbrook Elementary and Greenbriar Elementary and Wednesday at Westmoor Elementary.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1- to 4-years old and is the second leading cause of death for children from 5- to 14-years old; and 60 percent of children who drown are within 10 feet of safety. Schultz said the Y’s mission is to change those statistics through education and outreach.
"All it takes is two seconds to fall in the water and drown. If we save one life, it's worth it," he said.
The $120,000 donation by the Buehler Family Foundation led to the expansion of the water safety initiative. Schultz said it's a centerpiece goal of the Y's 50th anniversary celebration and fundraising campaign.