Who We Are
We are a group of competitive swimmers and high school students that are passionate about bringing water safety to our local comunity children. We began brainstorming in the Summer of 2025 about how we could make a positive impact on our community, and S.H.I.E.L.D.S. in the Water was born that fall!
Co-founders: Leon Joos, Eli Kuvin, Rollins Powell, Hudson Powell, and Sawyer Powell
What We Do
Raise funds to offer discounted swim lessons in local diverse communities
Visit local Jacksonville, FL elementary schools to introduce water safety concepts
Host a swim challenge annually in May to raise funds
Why?
Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in young children. CDC ranked FL 4th in 2021 out of all states in drowning deaths in children aged 1-4, and from 2019-2021 FL ranked highest in unintentional drowning death rates from 0-9yrs of age out of all states.*
Drowning risk factors vary by race.
According to the CDC, Drowning death rates for American Indian or Alaska Native people under age 30 are 2 times higher than the rates for White people. The highest disparities are among American Indian or Alaska Native people ages 25-29 with rates 3.5 times higher than White individuals of the same age. Drowning death rates for Black people under age 30 are 1.5 times higher than the rates for White people. Disparities are highest among Black children ages 5-9 (rates 2.6 times higher) and ages 10-14 (rates 3.6 times higher).*
Ways to combat this:
Formal swim lessons reduce the risk
Focus on and provide access to minority communities that have historically experienced barriers to swimming access and education
