Annual Project
In its inaugural, 2008 year, the group’s financial commitment was to offer financial
assistance and help underwrite lesson fees for children of qualifying families enrolled
in the Park and Recreation Department’s Learn-to-Swim life skill and life-saving
educational program. In November 2008, our organization presented a check in the amount
of $2,500 to Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie. In 2009 the Friends have plans to continue
the swimming lesson scholarships and add other initiatives to the agenda, such as the
newly developed Family Nature Club program which encourages families and friends to
explore Des Moines Metro parks together.
Learn More about These Programs:
For more than 70 years, the American Red Cross has been handling the Learn-To-Swim swimming
lessons offered at Des Moines’ aquatic centers and pools. Read more...
Last year, Des Moines Parks and Recreation began managing and conducting the instruction and, in a departure
from past policies of the Red Cross’ Learn-To-Swim program, began using only American Red Cross Water
Safety Instruction certified instructors to teach the lessons. That’s a policy you don’t find
in some of the programs in central Iowa, in which water safety aids are used to teach classes
and certified instructors are used only to supervise and monitor the skills testing.
Through management and staffing of the Learn-To-Swim program, Des Moines Parks can control
the quality of the service and make certain this vital program offers the best possible instruction.
Curriculum used for classes continues to be that developed by the Red Cross.
Des Moines is committed to providing the highest quality swimming programs and facilities to our
children at affordable rates. The new Learn-to-Swim program helps accomplish this mission. Last
year, Des Moines’ aquatic centers, pools and wading pools served over 203,000 patrons and nearly
900 children took part in learning these valuable recreation and life saving skills, 78 of them
through funding provided by the Friends of Des Moines Parks. It is projected that twelve hundred
youth will participate in the 2009 program.
The developing Family Nature Clubs will meet on a regular basis and will be equipped with monthly tips
about which parks would be interesting to visit for special reasons that month . . . spring’s woodland
flowers at Greenwood Park or the lilac arboretum at Ewing Park. Read more...
Members will be encouraged to photograph
the prairie’s summertime flowers and butterflies at Glendale Cemetery and bundle up for a visit to the
Scott Street Bridge or Gray’s Lake to see the bald eagles, and while there try to spot signs of beavers
at work to build their log homes. They’ll want to take binoculars to Polk County’s Easter Lake Park for
bird watching or lace up their hiking boots for a winter wonderland woodland hike at the county’s
Brown's Woods Park.
Families can learn safety tips too, like poison ivy identification and dressing to stay warm for a
cold day of sledding or skating at one of Des Moines’ golf courses or neighborhood park lagoons.
Club members will even get children’s book recommendations based on the season, as well as a list
of suggested activities.
The Des Moines Park and Recreation Department, Polk County Conservation, Des Moines Public Libraries,
Des Moines Area Community College and other partners have joined forces to offer this FREE innovative
program. The Friends of Des Moines Parks is sponsoring the new initiative to help families discover
the great outdoors together.
Tie into nature and connect with others interested in playing and learning in the great outdoors.
Club information will be available at this website, at www.dmparks.org, and also at
www.leadingyououtdoors.org or by calling 237-1386 and 323-5359.
The program will launch in April . . . just in time for birds nesting and those spring blooms.