M3 Aquatics Provides Free Aquatic Safety Training to the South Side
M3 Aquatics Offers Free Open Water Safety Lessons at 63rd St. Beach
CHICAGO, Sep. 20, 2022 —M3 Aquatics has kicked off their Drown Proof 2050 initiative to end drowning deaths on the South and West sides of Chicago by 2050. On Aug. 13, 20 and 27, 2022, the M3A Swim School brought life-saving open water safety training directly to just over 100 local south side community members.
These efforts were led by M3A Swim School’s Director Magdalena Glotzer who just launched the Swim School in March of 2022.
“The idea of our August programming was to bring the lessons to a community we wanted to reach, teach, and drown proof. The feedback from beachgoers was super positive; community members were surprised that such programming had not been established previously. We are so grateful to partner with USA Swimming and the Chicago Parks District to bring this lifesaving educational opportunity to the beach in a public, accessible, and novel way.”
With the support of USA Swimming’s Director for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Leland Brown III as well as Hilary Perez, Manager for Member Success, M3 Aquatics has been adaptable in the face of the pandemic and expanded programming to reach those with the most limited access to aquatic safety training in the city of Chicago.
M3 Aquatics is one of the initial 12 USA Swimming member clubs to receive the USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation’s Community Impact Grant program. With the money awarded by this grant, M3 Aquatics has kept program costs affordable for members, overhauled its community outreach presence to target those in need of water safety training and covered costs for local youth to complete their lifeguard certifications.
In May of 2020, the staff of M3 Aquatics determined that addressing the social unrest and ever-present inequities on the South Side of Chicago was a moral imperative that went hand-in-hand with a holistic training philosophy. Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota and localized calls for justice, the staff of M3 Aquatics built a team focused on providing top-tier training with a robust community engagement component. M3 Aquatics then set out to curate a program focused on reducing the countless unnecessary drowning deaths that occur disproportionately among people of color, preparing athletes for college readiness, and equipping young people with a skillset to recognize the inherent dignity of all people. M3 Aquatics received their charter from USA Swimming on Aug. 6, 2020 and serves athletes and their families from 26 zip codes predominantly from the south side of Chicago. It is a registered USA Swimming member club, as well as a member of USA Diving and U.S. Masters.
