Wisconsin Youth Company’s commitment to water safety ensures every summer is filled with smiles and joy during those memorable trips to the pool and beyond. This commitment includes completing the American Camp Association’s accreditation process each year, as well as the required licensing by the State of Wisconsin. The ACA accreditation process also gives peace of mind to families because it verifies a camp complies with 300 individual program quality and health and safety standards.
“Sending your child to a summer program with the appropriate licenses and accreditations is knowing the program has adequate staffing to meet your child’s needs,” says Janessa Palmer, director of summer programs, Wisconsin Youth Company. “These licenses and accreditations provide a safe space and care to children, plus but also extra learning and experiential activities so campers can maintain their knowledge and grow throughout the summer.”
Water Safety Protocols
Whenever summer camps involve water activities, Wisconsin Youth Company follows ACA requirements to guarantee a safe environment:
- Staff-to-camper ratio: One staff person for every eight campers
- Aquatic supervisor: One staff person remains out of the water to signal buddy check breaks and assist with any behaviors or situations that need addressed
- Swim level groups: Campers are divided into groups based on their swim abilities. Campers enjoy level-appropriate swim activities at the pool while remaining in close proximity to their counselor. Swim groups are defined and marked clearly as white, red, yellow, green, and double green, are defined as:
- White (non-swimmer): Camper is not allowed to go in the water, but can play in a designated area away from the water
- Red (beginner): Camper has little or no swimming experience. They can enter and exit the water unassisted and put their face in water. They must stay in water no deeper than waist level at pool or beach.
- Yellow (intermediate): Camper can tread water for at least 20 seconds, swim with arm action and some side breathing, and has been introduced to deep water. They may swim anywhere within the designated swim area with water levels up to 6 feet deep.
- Green (advanced): Camper can tread water for at least one minute, swim for an extended period with arm action and side breathing, and are comfortable in deep water. They may swim in water deeper than 6 feet.
- Double green (advanced with springboard and deep water slides permission): Camper has advanced swimming skills, as listed for Green level. If available, they may jump off low springboards and diving platforms no greater than 1m (3.5 feet) from surface of the pool (feet first only and no flips). They may also use water slides dropping into water deeper than 6 feet
All water trips are exclusively to facilities with certified lifeguards on duty and have zero-depth entry for maximum safety. Groups also use the buddy system during water field trips as an additional layer of safety. Children who are buddies remain within 20 feet of their buddy at all times, and groups perform frequent buddy checks. This gives children opportunities to rest, use the bathroom, and reapply sunscreen so they can have as enjoyable an experience as possible.
“Summer trips to the pool are a favorite time for everyone at Wisconsin Youth Company,” Palmer adds. “We are excited for them to be safe and fun for all during the coming months.”
