We have always wanted to offer swimming as part of our physical education curriculum. That is difficult since we are a downtown high school with limited space and facilities. Therefore, we sought out an alternative method to expand our curriculum. We formed a partnership with the downtown, local Y.M.C.A. They have a pool which allows us to offer swimming and water safety instruction.

The way this works is that the YMCA provides the facilities, certified aquatics personnel, and the lifeguards. We have, on average, 105 freshmen per year and that is who we offer the program too. We pay a flat rate of $1,000 per year for the program. This arrangement works out well because of the non-profit status of both our institutions.

We have a personal growth block for our freshmen which has them on a trimester schedule rotating among three courses: P.E., Health, and Theology (we are a Catholic school). The class period is one hour and twenty-five minutes, which allows us travel, dress time, and 50 minutes in the pool.

This arrangement has worked out really well as students enjoy this experience and have learned a lot. We took our liability and made it into a strength by using what the local community had to offer.

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