American Canyon Earns Award Of Excellence For Swim Program Video

From City of American Canyon: On Friday, March 22, 2019, the City of American Canyon received an Award of Excellence for Marketing and Communicationsfrom the California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS). The award was delivered during a celebratory awards dinner held at the end of CPRS’s annual four-day conference and expo in Sacramento. The City of American Canyon was presented the award to honor their efforts for a promotional video created in the Spring of 2018 to showcase the American Canyon Student Swim Program.

Produced by David Schloss of Inventive Films and Heather Piazza of Piazza Marketing Concepts, the video included an overview of the swim program, highlighting a strong partnership between the City and American Canyon Middle School. Over the last several years, the swim program has provided free swim lessons for thousands of middle school students as a part of their physical education curriculum. As shared by Joedy Michael, City of American Canyon’s Aquatics Supervisor, “In my 15 years of working in and around the aquatics industry, I have not seen a program of this scale or impact as the one offered to the middle school students. It’s truly an amazing partnership.” The video illustrates just how vital the swim program is to the
American Canyon community and families. It demonstrates a dedication to all children in our community feeling safe and confident in the water.

“Most of our students when I got here eight years ago were afraid of the water because of stories their parents had told them they had almost drowned,” stated Debbie Brace, American Canyon Middle School’s Physical Education Department Chair. “Their parents kind of stuck a negative in their brain that swimming wasn't cool; it was very scary, and they didn't want to do it. If not for this wonderful program, many of our students would not receive the opportunity to learn to be swim and be water safe.”

According to City of American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia, “Awards given by the California Parks and Recreation Society are among the highest recognition our agency can receive. We appreciate the dedication of our staff and partners with Napa Valley Unified School District that make this program the success it is today. Through the American Canyon Student Swim Program, we are able to provide a safe place, an opportunity to be outdoors, and deliver a life skill for our children to carry with them forever.”