We Are a Student-Led Initiative
A National Water Safety Movement
Own Your Float.
Bringing Water Safety to Every Child
Founded by Kate Casciato,
water safety advocate and high school competitive swimmer.
We bring free water safety education to preschools, community organizations, houses of worship, and pediatrician offices — because every child deserves to know how to be safe in the water.
We also partner with Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and other community organizations to donate goggles and swim caps — removing barriers to swimming and bringing our water safety education directly to the communities that need it most.
HELP US PASS New York Senate Bill S9480
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HELP US PASS New York Senate Bill S9480 〰️
Special thanks to Speedo and Children's Aid for their support!
Proud Partner of FINIS
We’re excited to partner with FINIS, a global leader in innovative swim training equipment.
But WATER
‘bout Safety?
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 4:00 PM
WHAT WE DO
Mission
Own Your Float was founded by Kate Casciato, a high school student at The Dalton School in New York City. What started as one girl handing out water safety flyers outside community centers and pools has grown into a student-led movement, sparked after a family member nearly drowned in a riptide. A competitive swimmer her entire life, Kate knew firsthand what water literacy could mean, and she saw clearly what happened to kids who never had access to it. What began as one student's mission has grown into a student-led movement: young people who believe water safety education shouldn't depend on your zip code. The gold standard is a swim lesson. But for so many children, that lesson may never come. Own Your Float exists to make sure they still learn valuable water safety.
Founded
Own Your Float believes every child deserves to be safe in the water, even children who haven't had a swim lesson.
We go directly into preschools and elementary schools to teach water safety. Our classroom visits start with a story. Our original children's books open the conversation. Then we go deeper with age-appropriate discussion, coloring activities, and take home rules. Children leave knowing how to stay safe in and around the water.
And the lesson doesn't stop at the classroom door. We partner with Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and community organizations to donate goggles and swim caps — because every child deserves a first step toward the water.
Why We Exist
Swim lessons save lives. We know that. We believe in them. We even help other organizations fundraise for them.
But here's the reality: some kids will never get one.
The reasons run deep — cost, access, and generations of families who were kept out of pools by law. Those reasons don't disappear overnight.
And while we work toward a world where every child has access to a swim lesson, children are around water right now without the knowledge to survive it.
That's why we start with education. Early. Because a child who knows the rules of water safety is safer than a child who doesn't — swim lesson or not.
The Crisis We’re Addressing
Not every child gets swim lessons. We want that to change.
But until it does, every child deserves water safety education.
Own Your Float bridges that gap.
#1
Cause of accidental
death in children ages
1–4 in the U.S.3×
Higher drowning rates for African-American children than white children64%
Of African-American children have little to no swimming ability13%
Chance a child learns
to swim if their parent
never didOUR NUMBERS - GROWING BY THE DAY
1,000+
Children Reached In schools and community centers
2,000+
Goggles & Swim Caps Donated And counting
250+
Libraries Reached With water safety kits and storytime visits across Florida, Arkansas, Texas, New York, and Mississippi
1 Goal:
Mandatory water safety education in every U.S. public school
Meeting families where they are.
Preschool and Elementary schools
We visit preschool and elementary school classrooms to bring water safety education to every child — regardless of when or whether they've had swim lessons.
Goggle & Swim Cap Donations
A pair of goggles. A swim cap. Small things that open a big door. We put swim equipment directly into the hands of children who need it most — through Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and community organizations.
Made possible by our generous fundraising donors, FINIS, Inc. and Speedo.
Houses of Worship, Community Centers, & Pediatrician offices
Faith communities are trusted gathering places. We partner with churches, synagogues, mosques, pediatrician offices, and community organizations to reach families where they feel safe.
Out Now
Captain Goggles
Saves the Day!
A new Own Your Float storybook for young readers!
In this colorful adventure book, Captain Goggles realizes he can't save everyone from the water — so he sets out to teach children to save themselves through swim lessons and water safety rules.
It's part of how we start with a story—then build habits kids can remember long after we leave the room.
All profits go to Own Your Float.
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Take the pledge
Something kids bring home from a visit—a simple promise to learn to swim and stay safe in the water, with Captain Goggles cheering them on.
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Continue the lesson at home
A free Captain Goggles coloring page that kids can take home — same water-safety messages in a fun, hands-on activity (print-friendly).
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Grandma, We're Swimming!
By Kate Casciato · Illustrated by Daeja Sutherland
Generational fear meets generational courage — Imara and her grandmother decide to face the water together, because it's never too early, or too late, to learn to swim.
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Bring Water Safety Education to Your Students
Partner with us to deliver meaningful, age-appropriate safety education in your classroom or community.
What People Are Saying
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“A valuable addition to our child safety curriculum.”
— Sarah L.
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“The power of community partnership was on display at the Own Your Float volunteer event when over 600 swim caps and goggles were donated to support our youth aquatics program. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, more young people now enjoy greater access to safe, confident experiences in the water.”
— Casper R.
Dunlevy Milbank -
“This program made water safety approachable and engaging for our students.”
— David K.