Pool Safely spoke with Chezik Tsunoda, founder and executive director of No More Under, to discuss how the organization works to prevent drowning and provide access to water safety education to groups that face disproportionately high drowning rates.
Why did you establish No More Under and what is its mission?
I founded No More Under (NMU) in 2018 after losing my son, Yori, to a drowning incident. I built NMU to do work that would reflect my very best in ensuring other families do not endure a similar tragedy. After further researching drowning statistics, I came to understand that drownings are steeped in discrimination, systemic racism, and financial exclusion. No More Under prioritizes families and children most in need of services to directly address these disparities, encouraging long-term change and inclusivity within aquatics.
NMU’s mission is to save lives through water safety education, enacting legislation that requires local and state governments to take drowning prevention action and increasing equitable access to swimming lessons and tools.
How does No More Under work to teach water safety to members of its community?
NMU’s approach to water safety is centered around swim lessons, advocacy and education, and community engagement. We focus our efforts on these three pillars to ensure that we are optimizing our impact with the resources available to us:
- We provide free swim lessons, goggles, and stipends to families most in need.
- We advocate for legislation and policy reform around water safety.
- We attend and speak at community events to educate and raise awareness.
Why is it important for No More Under to teach water safety skills to young children and why is it important for parents to make sure their children learn to swim?
Swimming lessons can decrease the chance of drowning by 88%, but so many people have never had the opportunity to learn to swim. According to the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis, if a child’s parents do not know how to swim, there is only a 13% chance of a child learning. We’re working to break generational cycles of exclusion, starting with children.
It’s important that water safety is a family conversation. Parents and other adults should stay close, be alert, and watch children during swim times, as well as keeping supervised young children within arms’ reach. Water safety skills and awareness like these can help save lives.
How does No More Under reach audiences with higher risks of drowning?
We prioritize community partnerships and work alongside trusted community members to reach those at higher risks. When developing our swimming and educational programs, we collaborate with church leaders, caretakers of youth groups, on-site managers at low-income and affordable housing organizations, teachers at Title One schools, and more. This approach allows us to gain insight into the unique needs of different communities and expand our capacity to provide culturally competent programs.
What is Yori’s Law and how will it increase water safety awareness?
Yori’s Law designates May 15th as Washington state’s Water Safety Day. The law encourages anyone who touches the lives of children to discuss water safety and drowning prevention. The reminder to have these conversations is a critical step towards awareness and closing the equity gap to give all children, regardless of race or socio-economic status, the information, and tools they need to stay safer in and around water.
What does your Pool Safely collaboration mean to you?
Ryunosuke Satoro says, “Singularly we’re a drop and together we are an ocean,” which we sincerely believe. NMU appreciates the opportunity to raise awareness and collaborate with Pool Safely to do that. We are grateful that your organization still leans into water safety after all these years, and we trust together that we are saving lives each year by spreading our important messages.