As part of Warsaw Christian School’s Physical Education curriculum, grades 1-4 attend swim lessons for 5 weeks at the Kosciusko Community YMCA.

This partnership, which has been in place for 30 years, has many benefits. Some of the kids have never had a swim lesson before. Lisa Reimink, the P.E. teacher for the school, estimates that for 25 percent of the kids, this is the only swim instruction they’ve ever received. This year there are 76 kids attending lessons over the course of the year, with the largest class having 24 kids and the smallest 13. Reimink says that all of the kids start at different levels but all of them improve.

She says, “It’s always rewarding to see the students gain in their confidence in the water and overcome whatever fear or anxiety they may have- putting their face in the water or swimming all the way across the pool unaided.”

Reimink lists some of the benefits the kids enjoy from swim lessons at the Y as including safe, effective swim instruction, being active- getting some much-needed exercise, the ability to have fun in a different environment and for some, the chance to learn how to swim. It also provides an opportunity for parents to be involved by providing transportation and supervision in the locker rooms.

For the kids, their favorite part of the lessons is the free time, races and games or the water safety lesson where they learn how to “save” each other with pool noodles. But for Reimink, as their teacher, her favorite part about the partnership is that she can, “feel good about the fact that they are being taught by instructors that enjoy being with kids and who share the same values that Warsaw Christian has such as respect, responsibility, honesty and doing your best.”

With the Y’s focus on Youth Development, the partnership with Warsaw Christian Schools PE class is a natural fit. The Y invests in kids and nurtures the potential of every child and teen. Through swim lessons kids don’t just learn the skills to swim, but they learn to value being active, gain confidence, and build relationships.

The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. All the efforts and offerings of the Kosciusko Community YMCA are guided by the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Every day, the Y works side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure everyone regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. In 2013, the Kosciusko Community YMCA provided $122,073 in financial assistance to make sure that happens.