Who We Are & What We Do
We are the resource for people working to eliminate drowning in their communities. SDN provides water safety tools and support to aquatic professionals, task forces, municipalities, and educators.
.SDN was founded by a group of educators who believe that drowning can be prevented. We believe that awareness, skills, knowledge and practice can help parents and kids realize the risks they face, learn how to protect themselves and react effectively if an emergency happens.
Many of us teach kids to swim. Others among us are doctors, health professionals, classroom educators, entrepreneurs and families who have lost a loved one in a drowning accident. Along our discovery and evolution journey, we realized that it was never too early to educate kids about drowning prevention. We also noted that many of the kids who would drown are economically disadvantaged and never have access to swimming lessons. How could we reach as many kids as possible with vital knowledge and tools? We realized it would be the classroom.
Since classrooms don’t have swimming pools, our next challenge was to develop something innovative and effective that would prepare kids and give them info to bring home to their parents and grandparents. We were (and continue to be) inspired by successful public safety initiatives that continue to save lives with children as ambassadors and messengers; seatbelts, smoking, texting while driving.
With an initial investment from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2008, SDN developed it’s first classroom curriculum. That program continued to evolve into a fun and immersive one that first and second-graders could enjoy. Today we have several different SDN learning modules that respect the time and resources a school teacher might have. We also have found great success among municipal leaders who have joined the Stop Drowning Now Cities program to use our content to help their communities be smarter, safer and healthier.
Today, young learners can begin their drowning prevention journey even before their first visit to a pool, beach, lake or other aquatic adventure. They can learn about supervision, protective barriers, swimming skills and emergency responses. We know they will share this knowledge with mom, dad, grandparents and siblings alike. They will understand how this knowledge complements their ability to float and swim, avoiding the tragedy of drowning.
Stop Drowning Now educates to eliminate drowning. We know it is possible, necessary and urgent to reach kids and families. We invite you to join us and make drowning a distant memory.
