May 14, 2020

Meet Todd Clark of Urban Scuba Kids in Grant Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Clark.

Todd, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began scuba diving after fulfilling a passion for the sea that started as a kid watching Shark Week at home with my grandfather. I was intrigued from that week forward. I had looked into YMCA classes at the time, but they were too expensive for a single-parent household. My dream of becoming a scuba diver and researcher went by the wayside till the age of 29. At that time, I was at a moment when I had accomplished everything except for scuba diving. I had signed up for my PADI open water scuba diving certification and one class lead to another, I found myself an open water instructor. After about a year and a half, I had logged over 250+ dives all around the world. The moment I had thoughts about Urban Scuba Kids, I was on a live-aboard boat that had about 40 divers on board. I happened to be the only African American or black person on the boat that was a diver. I pondered in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean about three hours off the coast of Freeport Bahamas thinking of where I started from. After that day USK was in the works and established three months later after realizing that the same opportunities could change the youth in Atlanta. I believe that by introducing scuba diving to under-resourced kids will give the opportunity to learn S.T.E.M activities, responsibility, discipline, and respect for nature. I plan to reach out to as many kids by introducing the skills and techniques of the sport of scuba.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As you can imagine in the landlocked area of Atlanta, it is kind of difficult to get the community into the water, let alone the ocean. It’s been received with open arms. Most parents are usually the ones you have to win over when it comes to there kids. Most parents on Atlanta can’t swim themselves to gaining there trust to take their child into the water is a slight hurdle but can be gained over time. Also having access to the indoor pools in the city becomes and issue at times. I have to reach out all over the perimeter to see if pools that are not being used for swimming lessons can be used for a short term to teach the confined water portion of the lesson. Other than that maybe sponsoring the kids and getting donations.

Please tell us about Urban Scuba Kids.
At Urban Scuba Kids, we teach underprivileged and under-resourced kids to scuba dive. In doing so, we teach S.T.E.M. oriented activities, responsibilities and life skills. When they complete the course, they will have the certification that will last them a lifetime. Broadening the ideas, imagination and creativity of the kids that could translate to a career or other life opportunities that wouldn’t be present without this exposure. I am proud because I haven’t heard of too many programs of this type in the nation. There is about three total that I have encountered in the nation but we the only one in Atlanta.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe that the perseverance and the focus to give kids the opportunity that could a child’s life and maybe the world just by exposing kids to something that isn’t usually taught in an average school/community.

Pricing:

To teach a child/adult the prices varies between $650 to about $1000 depending on the equipment, facilities, time of year and location.

Contact Info:

Website: UrbanScubaKids.org
Phone: 7708643185
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/urbanscubakids
Facebook: facebook.com/urbanscubakids

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Meet East Atlanta Series Sponsor:

T’Mil Curtis aka the Navigator: I’m a marketing and brand strategist, co-owner of a record label, content curator, speaker and social media influencer that’s been helping churches, small businesses and brands up their social media game during this pandemic.