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AquaMissions hopes to prevent drownings by teaching Cleveland students to swim
Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

AquaMissions hopes to prevent drownings by teaching Cleveland students to swim

By Kodi Reynolds, Kirsten Kimbler | Ideastream Public Media

Every year in the United States there are over 4,000 drowning deaths, making it the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Northeast Ohio, due to the proximity to Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River, there is even more reason to teach young people to swim. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, in 2025 there were 19 drownings in Lake Erie. With summer fast approaching, the likelihood of accidental drownings increases.

The nonprofit program, AquaMissions, now located at Cleveland State University, teaches kids how to swim to help prevent accidental drownings…

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Swimming for all: Cleveland kids learn to float, breathe at the pool
Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Swimming for all: Cleveland kids learn to float, breathe at the pool

Roosevelt Leftwich | Fox 8 News

CLEVELAND (WJW) — There are times in life when you just have to take the plunge.

With a few exceptions most of these fourth graders at Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Garfield Elementary School have had little-to-no experience in a pool.

But after four weeks of lessons about breathing, floating and making good safe choices around any body of water, they now all find being in the water no big thing and that actually it’s pretty darn fun…

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AquaMissions aims to teach lifesaving water safety to kids in Cleveland
Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

AquaMissions aims to teach lifesaving water safety to kids in Cleveland

Lindsay Buckingham | WKYC Studios

CLEVELAND — In the waters of Cleveland State University’s pool, a new wave of opportunity is making a splash for students from Scranton Elementary School.

For many of these fourth graders, this isn’t just a swim lesson—it’s their first real introduction to the water…

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