n The issue:
EC holding swim lessons at the campus pool over the summer.

n Our stand:
A positive environment for children and a good opportunity for the school.

Swimming lessons and programs working with youth are beneficial not only to the children who receive these experiences, but also to the venue that holds these classes. The classes are hosted at the campus pool starting June 14 and run until July 1. They are open to any child over the age of 5 as long as they register in time.
The summer swim program at EC is designed to teach children to swim. This program accomplishes not only that goal, but it also provides money which will be used towards the EC scholarship fund and to improve the aquatics programs.
The program is estimated to bring in around $29,000 during the summer alone, and during a time of major budget cuts all over the state, this money is vital.
The money will help to improve the pool facilities, thus helping students who use this area during the school year both for sports and aquatics classes. These areas, like most sports programs, are ones that have been affected by the budget cuts and so this money would help them out when they need it the most.
Besides the monetary benefits of the program, it also helps to provide employment to both past and current EC students.
The college provides classes where students can become certified to teach swimming, and with this program, these students have the opportunity to find employment.
Thus these individuals are benefitting from EC not only during the school year, but during the summer as well.
Learning how to swim is a vital skill when living as close to the ocean as we do, and by providing this service to locals, through trained instructors, we are able to keep children in our community safe.
The college is putting itself in a favorable position with the surrounding areas by helping not only its students, but youth as well.
With a campus and student body of this size, we need to focus on helping both the students attending EC as well as the surrounding community. If this is done properly, the college will continue to remain a positive force in the area.
Overall, this program is a win-win for everyone involved.
The children benefit from being able to learn a skill, the parents benefit by having these lessons take place in the local environment and the college benefits from the funds that will be made from these classes.