Project Proposal

Just Keep Swimming

Elijah Howard
 Elijah Howard
09/15/16
LSA Senior Project Proposal 4B

A. Abstract

The title of my paper and project is Just Keep Swimming; a Legal Analysis of the Reasons

People are Unable to Swim and how Teaching Swimming Prevents Water-Related Injuries. My

overarching topic is Beach and Pool Laws, while my specific topic is The Reason People are

Unable to Swim as well as the Effects this can have. I selected this topic because I've lived at the

beach my entire life. Unlike some people though, I was taught at an early age how to swim.

Swimming is something everyone should know how to do considering that the Earths surface is

70% water. Not everyone has been given the same opportunity to learn how to swim though.

During the 1900s Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans from swimming in public or

private bodies of water. It wasnt until the latter half of the 1900s that civil strife finally brought

an end to those particular laws but the lack of practice in swimming contributed to a general

tendency in the African American population to be unable to swim. Unfortunately the racist

belief that African Americans cant swim has some backing of truth. Since many of the current

generations parents were never taught how to swim, this generation as well was never taught

how to swim by their parents. My driving questions are as follows:

What can Virginia Beach City Public Schools do to incorporate swimming into the

teaching curriculum?

What has led to an abundance of people unable to swim?

 How will teaching swimming have an effect on beach and pool safety?

I would like to do a swim relay at Great Neck Rec Center to help raise money for

Students on the Swim. My advisor is Debby Hague, the AP Human Geography teacher at First

Colonial High School. Upon completion of my project, the success of my project will be based

on the amount of money we can raise for Students on the Swim. The materials I will need are as

follows:

Staff to Facilitate the event

Food

People to come to the relay

B. Learning Skills

New Skills:

Organizing a big event

Contacting food/catering company

Advertising the event

Enhanced Skills:

Oratory skills

Organizational skills

C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience

My audience for the duration of the relay will be high school teens. Children die in the

thousands every year from drowning, and learning how to swim and the rules and procedures to
follow early on can greatly reduce their risk as well as providing a fun experience. By donating

to Students on the Swim we can help them expand their lessons to other schools. My venue will

be Great Neck Rec Center.

D. Project steps

Preliminary Steps Create fundraiser plan. 12 hours

Contact Great Neck Rec. Get
feedback from advisor

Midway Steps Revise everything after 14 hours

feedback. Confirm venue and
consult with advisor. Create
website for event. Advertise

Later Steps Advertise event on school 3 hours

announcements and social
media. As well as around
school halls.

Follow Up Send thank you letter to Great 1 hour

Neck Rec as well as
counselor.

Total 30 hours

E. Project Documentation

1. Website

2. Pictures

3. Pamphlet around schools

4. Forms

F. Project Justification
 This project is definitely going to be a challenge for me. Not only does it challenge me to

be creative and organized with my event, it also challenges me to get out of my comfort zone and

organize and get in contact with new people. Ive never organized a fundraiser of this magnitude

before and this also gives me a chance to improve upon my communication skills in regards to

making the fundraiser fun and engaging as well as orating the importance of the event to

Students on the Swim. I hope to make fellow teens aware of the importance of learning to swim

and raise money for Students on the Swim.

G. Project-Paper Connection

For my paper I intend to research why people to this day are unable to learn how to swim.

Whether it be from financial insecurity, general negligence, or racially discriminating laws in the

past preventing African Americans from swimming in public bodies of water. I also intend to

analyze the effects that being unable to swim has on the risk of water-related injuries and deaths.

This relates to my project because the entire paper essentially centers around the importance of

learning to swim which I will try to impart on the students participating in my fundraiser and

through Students on the Swim, which will be able to reach more underprivileged schools and

teach those children how to swim.

H. Academic Honesty

Academic honesty means having the integrity to follow the directions of your teachers in

regards to what resources you can use whether or not they are there as well as using your own

work, even if the teacher has not specified against it. Plagiarism or pretending someone elses

work is your own is unacceptable and sources should always be cited. I understand that any
academic dishonesty by me on any part of the project will result in failure of the Senior Project

and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School diploma.