Celebrating the 2026 Swim Safety Corps Graduates
On August 13, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), Rising Tide Effect, the NYC Mayor’s Office, NYCHA, and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) co-hosted a graduation ceremony for 116 members of the Swim Safety Corps. The graduation, at Long Island University’s Kumble Theater in Downtown Brooklyn, brought together family, friends, and partners to celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments. Participants received certificates and certifications while enjoying a special performance by Batalá New York. The program also included a solemn reflection for New Yorkers who lost their lives to drowning, raising awareness of why these programs are so critical for residents of New York City. This year’s program was supported by partners such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, NYC Ferry, the Fund for the City of New York, and the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation.
The ceremony marked the fourth year of Swim Safety Corps, a groundbreaking initiative that equips youth living in underserved communities with lifesaving water safety skills and career exploration in the blue economy. The six-week, earn-while-you-learn Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) initiative provided water safety education, drowning prevention, and career exploration opportunities for 116 youth aged 16 to 24 from every borough.
“Swim Corps provides participants essential, life-saving skills and certifications while serving communities that have long faced barriers to safe, reliable access to swimming education,” said Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki. “Now in its fourth year, we celebrate the largest cohort to date. Along with saving lives, this is an essential program and model for how nonprofits, government organizations, and philanthropy can partner to open doors to careers in the city’s blue economy, provide meaningful mentorship, and establish a lifelong connection to the water. While earning a paycheck, graduates leave with skills that will benefit them for a lifetime while helping create a safer, more equitable city. We’re grateful to Rising Tide Effect and our partners and funders for making this program possible and look forward to expanding the reach and impact in the years ahead.”
“Drowning is one of the most preventable public health crises we face, yet it continues to disproportionately impact communities that have long faced economic and systemic barriers to water safety education and swimming instruction. Every graduate crossing the stage represents meaningful progress toward closing that gap, a young person who now has the confidence and connection to water and lifesaving skills they will carry for a lifetime and new opportunities to pursue careers in the local blue economy. This is what equitable access to water safety education looks like. When young people gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to safely connect with water, they don’t just reduce their risk of drowning — they gain access to opportunities that can shape their futures. I am deeply grateful to the Public Housing Community Fund, DYCD, and every partner who has helped Swim Corps grow into the program it is today. Most of all, I am incredibly proud of every graduate who chose to challenge themselves, overcome their fears, and discover what is possible in and through the water,” said Kaitlin Krause, Founder and Executive Director, Rising Tide Effect.
“Congratulations to the newly graduated members of the Swim Safety Corps! Thanks to the PHCF, Rising Tide Effect, NYCHA, and DYCD, hundreds more New Yorkers are able to enjoy and work near the water. The Swim Corps’ water safety education and career exploration support will help young New Yorkers benefit from and enjoy the water across — and around — the five boroughs,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
“Learning to swim and knowing how to be safe around water are life skills that every young person should have access to,” said NYC Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davies. “Through SYEP and Swim Safety Corps, young people are earning a paycheck while gaining lifesaving skills, building confidence, and discovering career pathways they may never have imagined. That is what youth development should do: give young people experiences and skills they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate these more than 100 young adults who make up the largest graduating class in the history of the Swim Safety Corps,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Equipping young New Yorkers with these essential skills ensures they can safely enjoy the city’s waterfronts while exploring new professional horizons. We extend our appreciation to the Public Housing Community Fund, Rising Tide Effect, DYCD, and the Mayor’s Office for their partnership and shared commitment to the safety and success of NYCHA residents.””
“Swim Safety Corps is a powerful example of what’s possible when partners come together to invest in young New Yorkers. The Fund for the City of New York is proud to support a program that builds lifesaving skills, confidence, and pathways to future opportunity,” said Dr. Lisette Nieves, President, Fund for the City of New York.
“As the operator of NYC Ferry, Hornblower is proud to once again partner with the Public Housing Community Fund and Rising Tide Effect to support hands-on experiences, life-saving water safety training, and career access opportunities for participants of Swim Safety Corps. New York City’s more than 500 miles of waterfront offer New Yorkers of all backgrounds incredible economic, educational, and recreational opportunities. We are proud to connect participants to those opportunities while inspiring the next generation of mariners providing safe, reliable, and affordable transit onboard NYC Ferry,” said Jeffery Brault, VP of Global Public Affairs, Hornblower Group, founding operator of NYC Ferry.
“The Swim Corps is helping young people build confidence in and around the water while introducing them to careers in science, climate resilience, research, and ecological restoration. We were proud to welcome the Corps to Governors Island and help them see New York Harbor as both a living classroom and a place of opportunity,” said Victoria Cerullo, Director of Urban Engagement, The New York Climate Exchange.
Throughout the six-week Swim Safety Corps program, participants completed 150 hours of training, including classroom instruction, pool and open-water training, and CPR/AED Certification in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Participants participated in a “Water Rescue Demo Day” at Beach 65th on Rockaway Beach, where they witnessed a live beach rescue demo, learned water safety skills, and discovered careers in emergency services from the FDNY, NYPD, and NYC Parks lifeguards. Other activities to expose the participants to water included surfing and kayaking. The Corps members also explored breathing techniques, communication, media, and worked with mentors on resume writing, interviewing, and job searches.
Each graduate received a professional headshot and a Chromebook to continue accessing career resources after the program. Members also visited NYC Ferry’s fleet at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to learn more about local blue economy career opportunities. Surfing instruction and familiarization with the ocean was provided in partnership by Laru Beya Collective, a Rockaway Beach-based nonprofit. Additionally, The New York Climate Exchange and Billion Oyster Project welcomed the Swim Safety Corps to Governors Island for hands-on learning at the Climate Imaginarium, alongside Oyster Research, Harbor History, and Water Quality stations for exploration of water-based careers in science, resilience, research, art, and restoration.
Swim Safety Corps is designed to introduce participants to diverse water-based experiences that establish a lifelong connection to water and expose young people to opportunities within the blue economy and careers in conservation and stewardship. These activities include surfing, kayaking, weekly workshops, health and wellness programs, career readiness, site visits, and guest speakers.
Rising Tide Effect launched the Swim Safety Corps in 2023, in partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund, as a pilot program to address the urgent disparity in swim safety and drowning prevention within NYCHA communities. The city’s persistent lifeguard shortages have exacerbated this danger, resulting in widespread closures of public pools and beaches, disproportionately impacting historically underserved communities, but also offering an opportunity for skilled swimmers to serve as NYC Parks lifeguards to meet the need. Nationally, Black children are seven times more likely to drown than their white peers. For residents of NYCHA communities, where nearly 95 percent of the population identifies as Black, Hispanic, or Asian, the lack of accessible, safe swimming environments is a public health and safety crisis. Given the systemic barriers to swim education in these communities (including limited pool access) and economic constraints, these communities remain at heightened risk of drowning incidents.
The program has grown exponentially since its launch in 2023, expanding participation from 17 to 70 in 2024, with a 94 percent graduation rate, and nearly 100 participants in 2025. Collectively, over 300 youth have completed the program in four years. Participants earn up to $2,475 in salary through DYCD’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) while participating in the program, ensuring they can fully engage in training without incurring any financial burden. Thanks to private funding, participants also received daily lunch and transportation support, further reducing barriers to access.
Photo credit: Rising Tide Effect
