United States mein Black youth ke beech fatal drowning ke cases, unke White peers ke comparison mein lagbhag 5x jada dekhe jaate hain. Ye statistics un historical aur structural barriers se jude hain jinka saamna Black youth ko swimming seekhne ke dauran karna padta hai.
In inequities ko overcome karne ke effort mein, Evanston, IL mein ek innovative summer swimming program start kiya gaya, jo third se fifth grade mein ja rahe Black kids ke liye tha. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education mein publish ak evaluation study ke according teen hafton ke is program ke baad, participants mein objective aur parents ke dwara report ki gayi swim skills dono mein significant improvement dekhi gayi.
“Swimming sirf ek sport nahi hai. Ye ek life skill aur safety skill hai, jise seekhne ka haq har insaan ko milna chahiye,” senior author Michelle Macy, MD, MS ne kaha, jo Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago mein Community, Population Health aur Outcomes ki Scientific Director hain, saath hi Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine mein Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) ki Professor bhi hain.
Unhone aage kaha, “Is local program ne ek aise environment mein swim skills ka acquisition dikhaya jo Black youth ke liye inclusion aur empowerment ko promote karta hai. Ye wo group hai jo nationally fatal drowning ke highest rates face karta hai. 8 se 10 saal ke bachchon par focus karke, is program ne un kids ke liye ek critical gap fill kiya jinhe chhoti age mein swimming seekhne ki opportunities nahi mil paayi.”
Yeh study Kuumba Evanston ke saath partnership mein conduct ki gayi, jo ek community-based organization hai aur jiska mission systemic racism ki wajah se marginalized hui families of color ko serve karna hai.
Swimming program me 3 hafton mein total eight 60-minute sessions ka tha. Iss study me do summers ke outcomes evaluate kiye gaye. Total 64 youth ne participate kiya — 2023 mein 38 aur 2024 mein 36 bachchon ne poore teen hafton ka program complete kiya.
Instructors aur parents dono ne program ke baare mein similar views share kiye. Unke according, sabse badi success ka reason swimming world mein belonging ka strong sense tha, jo is wajah se develop hua kyunki bachche apne jaise doosre Black youth ke saath the, jo pani mein confidence build kar rahe the aur saath-saath swimming skills bhi seekh rahe the.
“Har swimmer aur unki family ke saath trust aur confidence build karna bahot zaroori tha,” study ke co-author aur Swimming Program Director Andy Miner ne kaha. “Ak baar jab humne aisa environment create kar diya jab bachchon ko laga ki wo iss group ke part hain aur pani mein khud ko grow aur learn karte huye mehsoos kar rahe hain, tab results dheere-dheere compound hone lage. Culture sirf pani mein survive karne se badalkar pani mein thrive karne ka ho gaya.”
Is program ki success ka ek aur indicator iska high retention rate tha — jahan 10 bachche doosre summer ke liye wapas aaye, aur sirf ek hi participant ne program chhoda.
“High retention rate ke potential reasons mein supportive instructors aur group setting mein instruction dena shamil tha, jahan sab participants ek hi racial group ke members the — ek aisa group jo historically swimming spaces se excluded raha hai,” Dr. Macy ne kaha.
Study team ne apni findings Water Safety Task Force of Metro Chicago ke saath share kiye, jisme Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, DuPage County Health Department aur Illinois Department of Natural Resources shamil hain. Yeh results Illinois State ke Water Safety Plan ke development mein bhi use kiye jayenge.
“Yeh groups aur doosri communities hamari observations ko naye approaches mein integrate kar sakti hain taaki equity ko promote kiya ja sake, aquatic spaces mein belonging ka sense badhaya ja sake, aur communities of color mein swim instruction tak access improve kiya ja sake,” Dr. Macy ne kaha.
Dr. Macy Mary Ann aur J. Milburn Smith Research Professorship hold karti hain, jo Lurie Children’s mein Director of Child Health Research ke liye hai.
Yeh study Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program ke grant ke through fund hui thi, jo National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration dwara support kiya gaya tha.
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