Production period: 6 months (August 2025 to January 2026)
Background
In the United States, a clear swimming gap exists. Black children and teenagers are 5.5 times more likely to drown in swimming pools than their white peers, and overall drowning rates are also higher. According to the CDC, about 4,461 people die from drowning each year, and around 300,000 nonfatal drowning incidents require hospital treatment.
Research suggests that one of the root causes is lack of access. According to the USA Swimming Foundation, African American children have fewer opportunities to access swimming pools, meaning they are not given enough environments to learn how to swim and improve their skills.
Insight
Many Black celebrities own private swimming pools, yet some of them grew up without ever learning how to swim. This reflects a “broken swimming culture” that has continued across generations between parents and their children. Parents who never learned to swim cannot pass that experience on to their children, and the gap continues to repeat itself across generations.
Idea
Celebrities and everyday families open their swimming pools for free. Parents and children can directly book beginner swimming lessons through Airbnb, realistically expanding access to swimming.
Role
Research, Planning, Concept, Film Script, Storyboarding, Art Direction, Motion Design, Visual Mockups, Cover Design
Team Member
Subin(Dina) Jang — School of Visual Arts
