Colin’s Hope, founded in 2008, has continuously evolved to meet the needs of our local community, our state, and beyond to achieve our mission to prevent childhood drowning. Organizations must adapt; the key is strategic thinking with a foundation of sound data. Our success is attributed to pivoting when needed to remove barriers, so all children, families, and partners have access to our life-saving resources. One example is the bilingual website www.drowningispreventable.org developed in response to the pandemic.
We will demonstrate how our programs and educational tools are designed for specific audiences and how partnering with external organizations allows us to expand our mission. These innovative strategies in water safety education delivery will spur ideas for scalable efforts in your community.
We will share how data informs our webinars and training to benefit the general public and specific audiences, such as childcare groups who visit aquatic centers. We emphasize the required ratios of counselors, chaperones, and lifeguards to group size, while also sharing best practices for pre-field-trip protocols. Our goal is an aquatic experience that creates fun memories for all.
Jennifer Poteat became the Executive Director of Colin’s Hope in January of 2023. She has previously served in nonprofit leadership roles in Texas, focused on increasing access to quality, affordable education and healthcare for her community. Jennifer earned the Executive Master of Public Leadership from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in 2016. While serving as a regional ambassador for the Texas Hospital Association, she became interested in the patient experience as it relates to outcomes. During the pandemic, she pursued a Master’s of Health Care Transformation, a dual degree from UT’s Dell Medical School and McCombs School of Business. Today she is proud to advocate for safer behaviors around water and continue the legacy of Colin Holst, who tragically drowned in 2008.
She has been appointed to the Governor’s EMS & Trauma Advisory Council’s subcommittee on injury Prevention and Public Education for 2024. At Colin’s Hope, she has provided training sessions to Texas Child Care Licensing agencies and organizations (Healthy Child Texas/Child Care Health Consultants), professional training to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services agency (prevention and Early Intervention), and multiple preventions to nationwide organizations (Au Pair in America, Jack and Jill Foundation, and corporations such as 3M and Q2 Software) on water safety awareness and drowning prevention.