an accessible environment for children with disabilities. The Aqua Club collaborated with the Dobezhin School of Adaptive Physical Education. The School’s specialists conducted rehabilitation courses for children with disabilities at our swimming pools and gym.
In 2020, the STARFISH project concept was presented and appreciated by industry experts as particularly significant and unique at the First Water Forum event.
In 2021, STARFISH Aqua Club partnered with “The Great Ocean — International Festival at VDNKh.”
In 2021, open tours and master classes were conducted in STARFISH for Aqua Club leaders from all over Russia, providing methodological assistance and consultations.
In March 2022, the project received the status of a Social Enterprise.
The Good Place 2021 Award (presented annually to companies with the highest ratings according to user reviews and ratings on the Yandex website).
Aqua Club is marked on the nationwide Kid-friendly map as a place where you can safely go with your baby — to drink water, to rest, to wash your hands, to go to the bathroom.
Our swimming pools and swimming classes have been tested and recommended by the women’s clinic specialists and doctors at the maternity hospital at the Pletnev Municipal Clinical Hospital, Inozemtsev Municipal Clinical Hospital, and pediatricians at district clinics.
20+ partners and project ambassadors.
WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR
The following activities have been conducted since the opening of the Aqua Club on December 5, 2020:
• 12,920 classes for infants;
• 7,890 classes for children, adults and pregnant women in a counterflow pool;
• 1,720 classes for children with disabilities;
• 1,830 sessions of wellness massage, EMS and Alexeev Shower treatment;
• We have introduced and are successfully implementing new programs and combinations of exercises and recreational procedures;
• Held more than 30 cultural and sporting events to strengthen family values and develop Aqua Club traditions, more than 10 external and online partnership events;
• 3,450 family subscriptions out of the total of 6,000: two or more people from the same family are entered in the customer card;
• 4,500 subscriptions have been renewed, which proves that there is a recurring attendance of recreational activities at STARFISH;
• 270+ families a month attend STARFISH for recreation;
• 40+ children with disabilities attend STARFISH for recreation.
DIRECT RESULTS FOR 2021
• Increase in the proportion of recurring clients and those who systematically improve their health through STARFISH programs;
• Involving two or more family members in the recovery process;
• Hydrotherapy and improving the quality of life for children with disabilities;
• Elaboration and expansion of the range of wellness services provided based on requests from STARFISH visitors;
• Implementation of 10+ personal projects by STARFISH employees as a motivation and personal development tool;
• A corporate culture has been established as a tool for providing quality services;
• 95 % of all STARFISH employees continue working at the Aqua Club since it opened;
• Adult family members, on average, spend three times as much time with their children by attending STARFISH training sessions together and participating in Aqua Club activities;
• More than 40 families with children with disabilities have been integrated into a friendly society and have become more confident.
SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2021
• Continuing localization of the services from a major district to a single administrative unit and nearby areas;
• The target audience regularly participates in volunteer work and activities;
• Adults and children participate in holiday, sports and volunteer activities;
• Traditions of family sports wellness transition into family partnerships;
• Absence of staff turnover in the Aqua Club;
• Expanding the range of competencies of the coaching staff;
• Increasing the number of children taking swimming lessons in the Moscow region;
• 100 % of pregnant women who underwent wellness programs at STARFISH gave birth without complications;
• 95 % of parents who had previously practiced at STARFISH brought their babies as young as 1 month old for infant swimming;
• Over the past 6 months, Aqua Club held three large district festivals, two city family festivals, sports races and open water swims;
• Adults are spending more time together with their children;
• The “Aqua Club Next Door” concept reduces and/or eliminates the costs of traveling to the Aqua Club, babysitting and psychological assistance;
• Helping children with disabilities and their families find productive and effective forms of rehabilitation and habilitation.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
Development of STARFISH chain under “Aqua Club Next Door” concept contributes to qualitative changes in the urban infrastructure, significantly improves public health, increases life expectancy, reduces the cost of medical care for a family.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL
The Aqua Club receives 85 % of its income from individual swimming lessons for infants, children, teenagers, adults, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
15 % comes from other wellness programs: EMS training, TRX training, myofascial release, aqua jet, Alekseev Shower and wellness massage.
BabyApp. A Mobile App for Parents With Children Aged 0–2
https://first.school/
BabyApp mobile app produces a personalized development program for your child based on the results of a diagnostic checklist. BabyApp contains training courses and marathons on parenting, articles and tips of the day to reduce parental anxiety.
PROBLEM ADDRESSED
There are about 3 million children aged 0 to 2 in Russia. Many parents are concerned about pediatric emergency care, massage, sleep, complementary feeding, and other issues. However, they do not have enough information about the benefits of early development. As a result, they are left alone with their questions and concerns. Often parents confuse early development with early learning of a particular skill, believing that this should be done by a specialist. Pediatricians, who communicate most with young parents, have no feasible opportunity to explain to moms during an appointment what early childhood development really is. BabyApp popularizes the idea of early development and helps produce an individual development program for each child.
METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM
1. Developed the “First.School Methodology”, supporting harmonious development of all mental spheres of neurotypical children aged 0 to 2 years.
2. Produced 18 diagnostic checklists
