By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
As warmer weather approaches, the Barren County Family YMCA is filling its pool not just with swimmers, but with students from across the region learning a skill that aquatics director Jasmine Beaty believes can save their lives.
The YMCA’s fourth grade swim lesson program partners with local elementary schools in Barren County and Glasgow, as well as Metcalfe County Schools and Caverna, to provide structured instruction focused primarily on water safety.
“We average between 1,000 to 1,200 students,” Beaty said.
Classes visit the facility during the school day, rotating through lessons tailored to a range of ability levels, from beginners just getting comfortable in the water to students ready for more intermediate skills.
“We put them in three groups,” she explained. “One being the beginners and three being our advanced group.”
On the day Beaty spoke about the program, the YMCA was preparing to welcome a MSD class from North Jackson Elementary School. It would be the first time that particular class had participated in the swim program.
“That’s what makes this so special,” Beaty said, noting that the lessons are adaptable to meet students where they are. “Every student deserves the chance to feel safe around water.”
While some children work on stroke development and endurance, Beaty emphasized that the foundation of every lesson is safety. One skill, she said, is universal: floating.
If a swimmer becomes fatigued or overwhelmed in the water, the ability to float can mean the difference between panic and survival. Students are taught how to lean back, regulate their breathing and keep themselves above water long enough to rest or signal for help.
“It’s simple,” Beaty explained, “but it’s powerful.”
Beaty spoke emotionally about the urgency behind the work. With summer months approaching, she said, opportunities for water recreation will increase, along with the risk of drowning.
“It’s important for not just this group of kids, but for all kids to learn about safety,” she said.
For Beaty and the YMCA staff, the lessons extend beyond technique or physical education credits. They are about equipping children — regardless of background, ability or prior experience — with knowledge that could one day save their own life or someone else’s.
In the echo of splashing water and nervous laughter from first-time swimmers, the mission is clear: teach them to float, teach them to breathe, teach them to come home safe.
