AquaMissions Is Bringing Water Safety Education to Northeast Ohio Schools

Waves crash along the Lake Erie shoreline as a bus of Davis High School freshmen pulls up to Wendy Park. One student, noticeably anxious, has never seen the lake before — despite living only a few miles away.

For the first time in his life, he is fitted for a life jacket and handed paddleboard gear. 

Educator Lynne Nagy assures him he can enter the water at his own pace and reminds him that the life jacket will keep him afloat if he falls. If it doesn’t happen today, she tells him, it can happen another day.

Still nervous, he heads into the water on his paddleboard, life jacket tightly secured around him. 

“When he said he's ready, he flipped off the paddleboard and popped up like a cork,” Nagy says. “He squealed, ‘It works!’”

That freshman is one of thousands of students across Northeast Ohio with little to no exposure to water safety education. The experience reinforced what Nagy had long believed: Many local children lacked opportunities to safely experience the water — a problem that AquaMissions, Nagy's school-based learn-to-swim program for fourth-grade students, was tackling every day. 

Nagy, a Westlake native, grew up along the shores of Lake Erie and has seen firsthand how access to water recreation varies for many Cleveland children.

“[Regarding] access versus opportunity, the disparity is huge,” Nagy says. “I wanted to introduce opportunities for inner city kids to experience the lake.”

Founded in 2021, AquaMissions is a nonprofit that began through a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Athletics Department. Since then, it has expanded its partnerships with several organizations, including Cleveland State University, where lessons take place.

The program’s motto, “Challenge by Choice,” encourages students to progress at their own comfort level in the water.

“You pick what level you’re comfortable with, and when you’re ready, you’ll be loved and supported – it’s fantastic,” Nagy says.

Survey data conducted by AquaMissions shows the percentage of students who feel safe in the water increased from 61.9% to 85.6% after completing the four-week program.

“In the beginning, we had quite a few scholars that just wanted to watch,” says Nagy. “Now, we've found that the fear and anxiety has lessened dramatically.”

The program takes students from the CMSD and Warrensville Heights City School District to CSU’s Busbey Natatorium once a week for four weeks to learn essential water safety skills.

AquaMissions also works with schools to provide free transportation and swimming attire.

Over the past five years, AquaMissions has served more than 2,500 students, resulting in more than 12,700 pool experiences. Organizers say the program’s impact extends beyond the pool, supporting students’ confidence and growth in the classroom as well.

“It's such a positive, loving thing – to see the giant smiles and how much fun that these fourth graders are having is contagious,” Nagy says. “It's just joyful to be around.”

Looking ahead, Nagy hopes to continue building momentum for AquaMissions and expand partnerships throughout Cleveland.

“The doors keep opening to all different, really positive energies. People want to participate, and this is a beautiful opportunity to make changes,” Nagy says.

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