Programs

First WAVE

Did you know that drowning is the second leading cause of death among children 14 years and younger, and that African American and Latino children drown at a rate almost three times higher than the national average?

The YMCA of the East Bay responds to this issue through an innovative program designed for 3rd graders in the city of Oakland, California. First WAVE (Water Adventures and Values Enrichment) program is a high-value program that teaches children how to swim, reinforces reading skills they learn in the classroom and strengthens character values such as respect, honesty, caring, and responsibility in ten lessons. First WAVE provides participants the basic components of water safety and teaches proficiency in basic swim skills, both of which will help curb the epidemic of youth drowning in the East Bay. From 2007-2009, First WAVE provided swim lessons to over 800 3rd grade students throughout the Oakland Unified School District.

YMCA First WAVE has been temporarily suspended because of funding shortfalls related to the economic crisis. We at the YMCA understand the importance of water safety and swimming in our community and remain committed to our promise to teach every third grade child to swim. We will resume the First WAVE program as soon as possible.

YMCA First WAVE Program Components

Swim Instruction

YMCA First WAVE is a community-building effort that provides YMCA instructors during the school day, to teach water safety, and basic rescue techniques in 10 sessions. Through teaching swimming, the YMCA of the East Bay is enabling students to 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 values of the YMCA’s core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility in our youth. We provide activities that discuss what each of the values mean, and we award our participants for demonstrating those values within our programs. The incentive-based approach to values based education results in a constructive, collaborative atmosphere where children learn to support and foster these values in each other.

Enhancing Literacy

The First WAVE literacy component fulfills the California State Education Standards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade reading. Recognizing that reading proficiency in the third grade is the most reliable indicator of school success, the YMCA developed a literacy support component for First WAVE. This innovate component includes fun and effective activities and exercises conducted during students’ travel to the swim facility and 15 minutes prior to their swim lessons. These exercises are aligned with state education standards and the Oakland Unified School District’s Adopted Reading Program.

The Impact

What teachers have said:

•          “The opportunity for students to learn to swim is awesome. Many students in the West Oakland area never leave their homes once they enter from school, because of unsafe activities”

                                -P. White, 3rd grade teacher- St. Martin De Porres

•          “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. They’ve really learned a lot about themselves and what they can achieve. It’s also been a good team building experience, and good for literacy. “

                -M. Ouye, 3rd grade teacher- Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary

What Students have said:

•          “I think First WAVE is fun. I think I am learning how to swim very well and I like FREE TIME! I learned how to swim…I didn’t know how to swim.”

•          “The thing I like about swimming is…just swimming! “

•          “Maybe if we want to be a swimming instructor I will know how because when I was little you teach me how to and I will be a teacher to a swimming pool called the YMCA.”