All parents hope that their children will one day learn to swim. And there are many programs available to teach their kids how-to, unless the child is special needs.  When a child is autistic, suffers from Down Syndrome or has a hearing or visual impairment, the resources available are rare and above all, very costly, making them out-of-reach for many families.

To remedy the situation, more than sixty students at McGill University decided to join forces and establish the Making Waves Montreal program that offers private swimming lessons for a special clientele at a cost that is almost… symbolic.

In a ceremony at Le Capitole in Quebec City, this Tuesday November 17, student volunteers were honoured with the prestigious Forces AVENIR award for their dedication to Mutual Aid, Peace and Justice over the past five years.

Indeed, the positive repercussions of Making Waves can be felt far beyond the Montreal region. Spurred on by their recent success, the student members of the program have already established Making Waves Canada, a program that will oversee the implementation of the same type of project at Canadian universities across the country. Making Waves McMaster, in Hamilton, Ontario is already up and running and programs at UBC, the University of Toronto, Ottawa U and Dalhousie are set to open in December 2009.

Links:

http://www.makingwavesmontreal.com
http://www.makingwavesmcmaster.org
http://www.forcesavenir.qc.ca/en/universitaire/recherche_finaliste/14/2257/all