Living on the Fleurieu Peninsula means growing up close to the water. It doesn't always mean knowing how to be safe in it.

Fleurieu Aquatic Centre recently partnered with Victor Harbor High School to run a five-week water safety program for Year 7 and 8 students. Weekly sessions covered floating and treading water, swimming 50 metres continuously, survival sequences in light clothing, and basic rescue techniques.

For YMCA SA, getting these skills to young people is central to its mission of empowering youth and strengthening communities. The centre's most recent Social Value report showed water safety programming contributed more than $151,000 in safety-related community benefit to the region last financial year.

Hamish McMillan, a staff member at Victor Harbor High School, said improvements were visible week by week. "Students who attended regularly showed marked improvements in their ability to feel safe in the pool, and to attempt or maintain swimming over a sustained period."

He also noted a lift in confidence and social connection among nearly all participants, with those gains carrying on after the program finished.

Hamish was clear that older students face the same gaps, and that age is no barrier to learning these skills. "There's a heap of older students that would be equally disadvantaged in their ability to swim or be safe around water," he said, "so to give them a chance to learn these valuable skills was incredible."

We couldn't agree more. Empowering young people to feel safe and confident in the water is something we're proud to be part of.