Students At South Side School Learning Life Lessons In The Pool
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's a life lesson that's getting elementary school kids out of the classroom and into the pool, reports CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez.
At Poe Elementary Classical School, you'll find kids hard at work in the classroom, but there's one life skill they can't learn here.
Principal Eric Dockery says he didn't learn how to swim growing up.
"I missed out on so much growing up, I just learned how to avoid the water," he said.
It's a big problem in the African American community where seven of every 10 children cannot swim. African-American children between five and 14 are three times more likely to drown then white children.
Poe's principal, in partnership with the Kroc Center, is trying to change that by sending students to the pool.
At first, Joshua's parents had mixed feelings about the program.
"I was all for it," said Joshua's dad Kelvin Jones. "I learned at an early age I think the earlier you learn you're less fearful."
But the 5th grader's mother Karen felt differently. She lost a brother to drowning.
"Anytime my kids are any place with swimming pools, water parks or anything, I'm nervous," she said.
But after seeing Joshua and his classmates making such strides in the pool, Jones has a new attitude.
"Everyone needs to learn to swim, it just may save your life or someone else's," she said.
And for some of the kids there are other concerns too.
"If you go to a party and you don't know how to swim…it would just be weird!"
The sixth graders completed their swim classes. Fifth grade is up now, and grade by grade all 199 students at Poe will receive swim lessons.
