NY Gov. Hochul Announces New York SWIMS Initiative

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 5: Children are taught swimming at the indoor pool at the Children's Aid Dunlevy Milbank Community Center as New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces “New York Statewide Investment In More Swimming” (NY SWIMS) on January 5, 2024 in New York City. New municipal pools will be constructed throughout the state under the NY SWIMS initiative, along with investments in the parks system of New York State, the activation of natural waterways, and the deployment of mobile pools to areas prone to intense heat. The number of parks, pools, and beaches in New York that provide swimming lessons, lifeguard training, and recruitment will increase. Gov. Hochul highlighted that according to CDC statistics, drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 in the country and NY SWIMS aims to reduce drowning deaths by increasing access to swimming pools and teaching in regions where they are currently unavailable. A $150 million grant program is part of the proposal to assist communities in building 10 new pools in "high-need" parts of the state over the next several years. Additionally, "floating pools" in natural water bodies and "pop-up pools" in urban areas will be developed. The press conference took place at Children's Aid Dunlevy Milbank Community Center in the neighborhood of Harlem. (Footage by Tomas Abad/Getty Images)