Student swimmers in grades pre-k through second at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb recently completed a collaboration with the Boothbay Region YMCA. CTL’s youngest students traveled to the Y via bus for a multi-week program that allowed them to build swimming skills and comfort in the water.

At the YMCA, Aquatics Director David Washburn designed the program and, along with other instructors, led the lessons. Students were broken into smaller groups, taking into account age and ability levels, and worked on skills ranging from water acclimation, movement, and stamina to stroke introduction, development, and mechanics. CTL teachers Haley Barnes, Jennifer Keegan, and Corbin Lichtinger accompanied the kids to the lessons and Corbin, an experienced swimmer, joined the kids in the pool.

CTL plans for this partnership annually, paying for a YMCA bus to transport students from its Edgecomb campus to Boothbay Harbor. For Head of School Katy Inman this is an important investment in students’ safety and confidence: “Our students are growing up in communities on the water. It’s an important part of our physical education curriculum for them to develop swimming skills, and we so appreciate David Washburn and his team at the Y for giving kids these tools.”

Pre-kindergarten teacher Haley Barnes noted that over the course of the weeks of lessons, “you can see the growth—even among the most timid kids. Everyone gained confidence over the course of the series.”

To learn more about CTL, please visit our website at www.c-t-l.org, or contact CTL’s Head of School, Katy Inman, at katy@c-t-l.org.