Caddo Parish Public Schools and the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana are celebrating a sizeable
milestone as the Swim For Life partnership has successfully taught more than 15,000 students
comprehensive water safety skills.
Launched in 2017, Swim For Life provides classroom and in-water instruction to all second
graders in Caddo Parish as part of a four-day course designed on safety around water. This
training provides them with the tools to be informed and prepared around the water through
the use of lifesaving techniques.
"It is our collective responsibility to equip our children with the skills needed to navigate the
water safely," said Dr. T. Lamar Goree, Superintendent of Caddo Schools. "By providing a water
safety course, we are empowering our students to make sound decisions in potentially
hazardous situations. The knowledge our students have gained will last them a lifetime and
could prevent a tragedy from happening in our community."
Upon completion of the program, students demonstrate an 80 percent increase in skill levels
from day one to day four. Each student leaves with an understanding of how to remain safe in
multiple scenarios around bodies of water. Swim For Life utilizes the Safety Around Water
curriculum designed by Y-USA.
“Of all the programs we are currently offering, Swim For Life is our most important and the
most impactful,” said Gary Lash, CEO of the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana. “We are grateful for
the vision of Caddo Parish Schools for recognizing a critical need in our community and
partnering with the Y to help keep our kids safe around water.”
Swim For Life is made possible through support from the Community Foundation of North
Louisiana and Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.