The entirety of my capstone project since September has been based upon researching different elements of my topic and exploring the different reasons behind the extent of the widespread issue of children being unable to swim. In October I was put in contact with the Executive Director of SwimRVA, Adam Kennedy. He was vital in giving me direction in which to aim my research, pointing to various studies and resources and giving his perspective on the issue as a whole. I spent the next several months looking into those sources to formulate a well-rounded, holistic view of the subject.
I currently have an internship lined up for May 16-18, 2016 with Margaret Throckmorton of the YMCA. This internship will give me a further perspective of the use and importance of swim lessons for children. I hope to be able to learn about the types of people that come to the YMCA for swim lessons and would like to see how instructors view the issue of a large portion of the American population being able to swim as a whole. I would also like to be able to find out how the parents of children see the importance of swimming and what their motivation for enrolling their child in swim lessons exactly was. One other thing I am curious about is what type of, if any, support the YMCA gives to members of the community that don’t have the access to swimming that others may have. Access can be defined, in this instance, as the proximity of a pool to their own residential area, the access to a pool membership, and the funds to pay for the private swim lessons, etc. that are needed to ensure that a child learns the skills and techniques necessary to become a proficient swimmer.
I currently have an internship lined up for May 16-18, 2016 with Margaret Throckmorton of the YMCA. This internship will give me a further perspective of the use and importance of swim lessons for children. I hope to be able to learn about the types of people that come to the YMCA for swim lessons and would like to see how instructors view the issue of a large portion of the American population being able to swim as a whole. I would also like to be able to find out how the parents of children see the importance of swimming and what their motivation for enrolling their child in swim lessons exactly was. One other thing I am curious about is what type of, if any, support the YMCA gives to members of the community that don’t have the access to swimming that others may have. Access can be defined, in this instance, as the proximity of a pool to their own residential area, the access to a pool membership, and the funds to pay for the private swim lessons, etc. that are needed to ensure that a child learns the skills and techniques necessary to become a proficient swimmer.