Today we’d like to introduce you to Trish P. Miller.
Trish, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My professional background is in public health, however, my passion for educating vulnerable communities about swimming came from my own personal experience with the water. When I was a freshman in college, I almost drowned while on spring break with friends. Though I grew up near a beach, I never learned to swim; it just wasn’t something that my family did. My friends tried to teach me, but I didn’t realize that I hadn’t learned the most important part and that’s treading water. As a result, I jumped in the deep end and panicked. The next thing I remember is having to be rescued by one of my friends.
As I continued to progress in my career, I started to become aware that my story was not unique, that nearly 70% of Black people do not know how to swim well. And unfortunately, these numbers result in drowning rates of Black children that are ten times that of white children. It became my mission to do something about these devastating statistics and SwemKids was born.
SwemKids is a school-based program that transports elementary and middle school students during the school day to local pools for swimming instruction and water safety programming by our certified staff. Our mission is to eliminate all of the barriers that prevent Black children and their families from being safe in and around the water, and with each lesson, we are confident that we are changing the picture of drownings in our communities.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We are using a model that has been proven successful in states such as Virginia and Minnesota, however it is new to Georgia. Once we were able to secure partnerships with the school systems and local pools we were able to show value and demonstrate why our program is critical.
The challenge we face now is due to schools and pools being closed because of COVID-19. We are confident that once schools reopen, we will be able to resume operations and provide this much needed service those who need it most.
Please tell us about SwemKids.
Our organization specializes in programs, services and products designed to give the freedom of swimming to all. We accomplish this by our school-based program which provides swimming instruction to elementary and middle school students as a part of their school’s curriculum; our swim school, which focuses on representation and culturally relevant instruction; and our swim products, which are designed to address hair protection and body image.
We are most proud of our ability to reach people where they are and address a stereotype that has plagued Black communities for decades; contributing to drowning rates which are higher than all ethnic groups. We understand the deep roots of the attitudes and opinions surrounding the water and with our programming are able to address and overcome these issues. Each time we are able to help a child or an adult overcome their fear of the water is a proud moment and makes the work that we do worthwhile.
You are never too old to learn how to swim. Our certified instructors are patient and specialize in turning fearful swimmers into confident swimmers. Sign up for lessons today at www.atlantaswimschool.com.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
At this point, we are proud of the traction that we are receiving, however, perhaps we would have spent additional resources on advocacy and policy development to make it required that students in all states learn to swim in order to matriculate.
Contact Info:
- Address: Atlanta, Georgia
- Website: www.swemkids.com, www.atlantaswimschool.com
- Email: tmiller@swemkids.com, info@atlantaswimschool.com
- Instagram: @swemkids, @atlswimschool
- Facebook: @swemkids
- Twitter: @swemkids
Image Credit:
Cranium, LLC. Photographer: Reginald Duncan
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