The South Orange Village Council on Monday night named Ellis Peters — a swimming instructor devoted to swim equity, water safety and community empowerment through work and his advocacy — Villager of the Month for February.
Through his partnership with SOMA Justice, Peters offers free, inclusive swim lessons to children, families, adults, seniors and neurodivergent swimmers through the organization’s Learn to Swim program.
The Council noted in its proclamation that drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death for children in New Jersey, “with risk disproportionately impacting communities that lack access to affordable swim instruction and aquatic resources” and that South Orange Village recognizes “the critical importance of swim education as a life-saving skill and apathway to safety, confidence, opportunity, and inclusion.”
RELATED: SOMA Justice’s Learn to Swim Program is Changing Lives and Local Pool Culture
According to the proclamation, Peters, who has lived in South Orange for nearly 7 years, grew up in Washington, D.C. and suffered a “deeply personal loss connected to drowning,” after which he devoted his life to “ensuring that other have access to the skills safety and confidence that come from learning to swim.”
The proclamation also quotes Dr. Khadijah Costley White, who founded the Learn to Swim program, saying, that Peters brings the “life-saving power and generational impact of learning to swim” to the center of this work.
The Council applauded Peters’ work, including his advocacy for scholarships, equipment access and support that remove financial systemic barriers for families. Further, they credited those efforts along with community partnership and fundraising with strengthening and expanding swim equity programing, “allowing more residents to gain life-saving skills and opportunities for growth.”
Council Member Summer Jones, acting as Mayor in Sheena Collum’s absence, read the proclamation and congratulated Peters, saying the Council “had so many people recommend you It’s been really amazing so thank you very much.”
Council member Hannah Zollman said, “I met Ellis many years ago, when our children were in preschool together, and just to see the commitment to this community and the growth, is just…We’re very lucky to have you here in South Orange, so thank you for all that you do. I’m grateful to be your neighbor.”
Peters thanked the Council “for seeing me and the work that we do. I’m just one of many people that contribute to this cause.”
He added that three years ago, his partner answered a request on Facebook for someone to teach neurodivergent adults to swim and now they’re teaching year round.
“I appreciate the opportunity to [teach], because I love teaching swimming. I love swimming more than most things, and the opportunity to be able to do it locally and to help out our neighbors is a true joy for me,” he said.
Jones added that the three recently elected council members, Zollman, Patricia Canning and Bill Haskins donated their campaign funds to the South Orange Recreation Department so that the money could go toward scholarships.
“So, as a reminder for anyone that is in South Orange, if you need a scholarship in order to either join the pool or to take swim lessons or anything, that is eligible,” she said. “You just have to apply for it.”
Ellis Peters, center, with his family and the Village Council. (Photo courtesy of Julie Doran)
