Advocacy
Fighting for Philadelphia's indoor public pools
FOPA began as the voices at School District meetings and the faces at budget hearings. Today, we are also operating at Hartranft, proving that public access can be protected when community leadership is resourced.
To bring neighborhood anchors back online - whether through renovation or full rebuild - it will take true collaboration across sectors: the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the School District of Philadelphia, public agencies, churches, grassroots partners, and private funders.
We want what New York has invested in. We want what nearby communities are building. We want the end of generational drowning.
Reclaim Our Pools
Reclaim Our Pools: Bring Year-Round Aquatics to Every Philly Neighborhood
Reclaim Our PoolsWhat We Advocate For
Permanent Indoor Pool Funding
As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, FOPA is calling for a real civic gift to communities: permanent funding for indoor public pools.
Sustainable Operations
Capital repairs matter, but communities also need ongoing funding for staffing, programming, maintenance, and access.
Public Accountability
We continue to show up at hearings, meetings, and community events so pool closures do not disappear from public memory.
Shared Pipeline Building
FOPA works with partners so lifeguard and instructor pathways are collaborative, accountable, and rooted in neighborhood leadership.
Service at Our Core
Advocacy is only one part of the work
We volunteer with local advisory councils, work alongside churches and grassroots partners, and participate in community events to elevate resident voices and needs.
These spaces require trust, presence, and shared responsibility. Public pools reopen when communities are heard and when the systems around them are built to last.
Articles and Resources
Philly Aquatics in the News
Philly Aquatics in news
Pickett School Indoor Pool resource from Philly Public Pools.
Open resourceRead about the Pool Business
According to Watlington, the District is now in the pool business and has included swimming into the curriculum.
Open resourceRead about Sayre Pool
Jaimie Gautier Office and the School District were able to come to an agreement and obtain the funding needed to repair Sayre Pool thanks to the cooperation of our collective advocacy groups.
Open resourceRead about the Current Pool Season
An overview of the current pool season.
Open resourceRead about Milan Howell
If you read about this young woman's path to becoming a lifeguard, you'll realize how crucial it is to ensure that everyone has equal access to indoor swimming pools.
Open resource
Follow our latest updates and community notes.
Read the Newsletter