MUSA : East New York Family Academy

Founded in 2015, MUSA equips and empowers teens of color and uses swimming to help improve their lives. MUSA offers a combination of swim training, lifeguard certification, and work placement in the high paying aquatics field.

 

MUSA meets three desperate needs: 1) aquatics facilities’ persistent struggle to identify certified lifeguards during the summer months 2) disproportionately high drowning rates, lack of access to aquatics activities and cultural fear of water within communities of color. Training high schoolers in marginalized communities to swim and become lifeguards breaks down barriers to access and walls of fears as well as provides good-paying work opportunities for youth. and 3) Makes use of pool facilities located in high schools throughout NYC exclusively attended by teens of color, that are under-utilized or not used at all. Additionally, the process of learning to swim and earning lifeguard certification teaches discipline, responsibility, builds character and develops leadership skills. These life skills will support academic success and on time graduation for MUSA participants.

 

MUSA has run a pilot program at the Thomas Jefferson Educational Campus in East New York, Brooklyn for two years. Participants learned to swim with the goal of obtaining lifeguard certification. Once certified, MUSA places participants in aquatics positions in NYC summer camps and public pools – positions with median pay significantly greater than other summer youth work. To date MUSA has trained over 50 students to swim and certified 7 participants as lifeguards. The job placement rate for MUSA lifeguards is 100%!

 

Starting in January 2022 MUSA will expand to a second location, The East New York Family Academy. This program will enroll 50 youth and provide swim instruction over a 10-week period. Additionally, MUSA will pay all fees associated with lifeguard certification for each qualifying participant and guarantee them a summer job once certified. To expand our services my fellow board members and I are asking our friends and family to support our fundraising goal of $10,000 with a $25.00 donation. All proceeds raised go directly to the program at East New York Family Academy and are tax deductible. Thank you for your support!