State-of-the-Art Poconos Fitness Facility Brings Water Safety Awareness Program to Local Community

This spring, the certified swim instructors at the  Woodloch Springs Sports Complex (WSSC) are excited to bring Josh The Otter program to local schools, communities and WSSC itself. The Sports Complex is home to a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor pool and offers a wide array of group fitness classes and educational workshops.  May is National Water Safety Month, and the Woodloch Springs Sports Complex is dedicated to providing water safety resources to the community. On Saturday, May 4, 11 and 18 at 9:30 am and 10am and Wednesday May 8, 15, and 22 at 4:30 pm and 5 pm, WSSC will be hosting free Josh The Otter presentations. Participate in the educational water safety program and receive a free day pass to the Sport Complex. Parents and children ages three through eight years old are welcome. Bring your life jacket and other personal floatation devices to the presentation, and WSSC staff will properly align them with your child. Registration is required.

This energetic classroom program promotes water safety and drowning prevention through the Josh The Baby Otter book. The book was written to teach children to “stay away from water unless with an adult and to always swim with a buddy.” It is an engaging presentation for children in preschool through second grade.

This program is made possible through a partnership with the non-profit drowning prevention organization, the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation (JCMF) of Lincoln, Nebraska:

The Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation was created in July of 2008 to serve as a catalyst to strengthen water safety awareness and create an early childhood education program.  Their goal is to empower children to be safe in and around all bodies of water to prevent similar tragedies. The Josh The Otter Water Safety and Awareness Project is dedicated to teaching young children about water safety through the use of Josh The Otter a book written by Blake Collingsworth.

The book has been translated into twelve languages and has been published in Spanish, Urdu, and Portuguese, with the hopes of expanding its reach even further. The Foundation and its partners have distributed nearly 250,000 books and have reached over one million children. The program has been presented in classrooms, community centers, zoos, aquatic centers, and childcare facilities around the world.

The International Life Saving Federation cites the statistic that 1.2 million people around the world die by drowning every year. That is more than two persons per minute. Drowning is preventable. Spreading information about water safety and awareness is a must in preventing tragedies. Being proactive as a community is a neccessity.

For further information on the program, visit www.joshtheotter.org. To learn more about the Woodloch Springs Sports Complex program, visit www.woodlochsportscomplex.com.