Hello all! Thank you so much for being here.
For children and youth, participation in swimming and other aquatic activities can provide incredible health benefits, opportunities to be out of doors and engage socially, bolster development, and enhance the achievement of physical and academic milestones. However, engagement with the water will always present children and youth with the inherent risk to drowning. Therefore, it is essential that we help provide children and youth with ample opportunities to gain the skills and knowledge that can help protect them from drowning and stay safe in, on, and around the water.
Senate Bill (SB) 736 is a water safety education bill that was recently introduced to the Senate as a way to help in these efforts. SB 736 would require that a data driven, evidence informed, and context specific water safety education curriculum be part of Physical Education for every K-12 student in Michigan. SB 736 was generated from the office of Senator Roger Victory, has many co-sponsors, and has received bipartisan support. Additionally, the bill has made its way through most of the legislative process and is now sitting on the desk of Senator Polehanki, Chair of the Education Committee, and ready for a hearing.
If you are willing to support SB 736 please personalize, sign, and send the below letter requesting that Senator Polehanki call for a hearing on this important bill. Many others across the state will be personalizing, signing, and sending this letter via email to Senator Polehanki on and around Wednesday, October 30th in an effort to draw attention to the bill once again.
Copy, personalize, Sign & Send the below letter to Senator Polehanki at sendpolehanki@senate.michigan.gov
Dear Chair Polehanki,
I respectfully request your consideration to schedule Senate Bill 736 for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Education. This bill seeks to ensure the integration of water safety instruction into the curriculum for every public-school student in Michigan. The goal is to provide students with information that will help them make better decisions in and around water.
Drowning remains a pressing public health issue. While it can occur in various bodies of water, from lakes and rivers to public pools and backyard swimming pools, children are disproportionately affected. Those aged 19 and younger account for 22% of drowning fatalities, with nearly 17% occurring among children between the ages of 1-4. In the United States, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children and youth ages 5-14, trailing only motor vehicle accidents.
Each year, over 4,000 people in the U.S. tragically lose their lives to drowning, with more than 8,000 suffering non-fatal drowning injuries. Alarmingly, since 2010, over 1,250 people have drowned in the Great Lakes, with Lake Michigan reporting the highest number of drowning incidents. These figures highlight the critical need for comprehensive water safety education in Michigan schools.
Recent research underscores the gap in water safety education across our state. A statewide representative survey indicates that less than 15% of Michigan schools currently provide water safety education or swim instruction. However, studies have shown that water safety education and swim training significantly enhance the knowledge and skills necessary to protect children and youth from drowning tragedies.
Sincerely,
Here is the link to a story News Channel 3 ran on the bill, featuring Senator Victory: https://wwmt.com/news/local/water-safety-education-bill-michigan-roger-victory-donni-steele-students-curriculum-education-schools-great-lakes-surf-rescue-project-lansing-ingham-county-state
Roger is clear, “The longer we wait, the more tragedies will occur”.