Saving Lives and Creating Opportunities in Diverse Communities through Water Safety and STEM

This seminar explores how both the fields of Aquatics and STEM can work together to spread the message of water safety and drowning prevention initiatives in K-12 education. Research shows that the disparities in aquatics mirror those we find in public health, education, and physical activity. More than 400 years of oppression fuel these disparities which have reverberated in our public system’s unequal allocation of power and resources. These systems have ignored continuous issues of race, socioeconomic circumstances, and cultural stereotyping in the field of aquatics, health, and education. While most research in aquatics focuses on water safety and drowning prevention, there is a need to involve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education into the discussion. Initiatives in K-12 education as a whole could help to elicit such change not only in aquatics but also in STEM.

Miriam Lynch is an advocate for increasing aquatic opportunities and water safety education to all. She works in collaboration with various organizations to raise awareness, create community partnerships, and develop solutions to reduce the “drowning gap.” Miriam is the CEO of Diversity in Aquatics, whose goals are to Educate, Promote, and Support swimming, water safety, and healthy aquatic activities in underrepresented populations. She also works as a full-time teacher and curriculum lead at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Virginia. In addition, Miriam has coached the Nation's Capital Swim Club, served on the board of USA Swimming National Diversity Committee and the Eastern Zone, and has served as a chairperson for the Potomac Valley Swimming Diversity and Inclusion.