Programs

First Wave

First WAVE
First WAVE is:
Water Adventures—teaching every third-grader in the East Bay to swim
Values Education—reinforcing reading skills and character

ABOUT
In 1909, the YMCA launched an ambitious campaign to teach every man and boy in North America to swim.

Today, YMCA First WAVE is our annual commitment to teach every third-grade student in the East Bay to swim. Imagine, by 2015, every third-grader through high school senior (more than 20,000 students) in Oakland will know how to swim. That will mean:

Lifeguards and swim teams that truly represent the community
Fewer deaths by drowning (drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under age 12)
More people using the East Bay’s outdoor water resources

But YMCA First WAVE (Water Adventures and Values Education) is more than swim lessons.
It also:

Reinforces reading skills learned in the classroom.
Builds social skills needed to succeed.
Strengthens character values.

First WAVE will give children the skills to feel confident in the water, in the library and the classroom, and in engaging with the larger community.

First WAVE is part of the Oakland Unified School District third-grade experience. Lessons are taught at the M. Robinson Baker YMCA and Downtown Oakland YMCA pools, and the Roberts Regional Park Pool, thanks to a partnership with the East Bay Regional Parks.

So far:

100 students at three schools completed the First WAVE curriculum in December 2007 (E.C. Reems Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, St. Martin de Porres Elementary).
11 schools with 32 third-grade classes have signed up to participate during the 2007/08 academic year. This means that approximately 675 students will have completed the 10-lesson curriculum by June 2008.

YMCA First WAVE is founded upon the collaborations of nonprofits, school districts, parks and recreation departments, volunteers, donors and supporters in the East Bay. Several partners are offering a “Passport of Opportunities” to families whose children have completed the YMCA First WAVE program. Passport of Opportunities allows free or discounted services from our partners:

Aquarium of the Bay
California State University East Bay
Holy Names College
Laney College
Oakland Museum of California

“Not only have students had a chance to learn how to swim, some of them have never been in the water before. It has also been a great confidence booster for them. ” -M. Ouye, 3rd grade teacher, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary

LEADERSHIP
Alison Richardson, program development director
Joy McCarthy, program director

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The YMCA First WAVE program teaches children important skills in the water and on dry land.

Teaching Swimming
YMCA instructors teach water safety, and basic rescue techniques in 10 sessions offered during the school day. Learning how to swim helps students become healthier, safer and better able to concentrate during the school day.

Teaching Values Education and Enrichment
The swimming and water activities in First WAVE are especially suited to teach and reinforce the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility to our youth. We provide activities that discuss what each of the values means, and we reward students who demonstrate those values during the program. This incentive-based approach to values education creates a constructive, collaborative atmosphere where children learn to support and foster these values in each other.

Enhancing Literacy !!This was not bolded in the documentation, but it looked like it should be.
Reading proficiency in the third grade is the most reliable indicator of school success. The First WAVE literacy component fulfills the California State Education Standards for first-, second- and third-grade reading. The travel time between school and the pool, and the first 15 minutes before the swim lessons are used for fun and effective literacy activities. These exercises line up with state education standards and the Oakland Unified School District’s Adopted Reading Program.

“The thing I like about swimming is… just swimming!” First WAVE student

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DONATE
We honor the spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy at the YMCA. We recognize that to solve a community problem, the active participation of the community is needed!

Here’s how you can support First WAVE:

Adopt-A-Class
Transportation is one of the most costly parts of the First WAVE program. When you adopt a class, you make it possible for a class to get to a First WAVE site where they can learn to swim. Simply fill out the Donation Form and return it to the YMCA of the East Bay. All donations are tax deductible. Every dollar counts. Make your donation today!

Volunteer
Time is one of the most precious things you can donate to the First WAVE program. Volunteers assist in many ways, from supervision and administrative support to logistics. We want to teach all 3,345 of Oakland’s third-graders to swim. That takes a whole lot of support. Your time and support are invaluable. We hope you can join us. Simply fill out the volunteer form and return it to the YMCA of the East Bay.