Where is Josh!?
Click on each highlighted area to learn more!
Brazil
The book will be translated into Portuguese and distributed throughout Brazil and US with the help of Rotary Clubs.
Mission Mid-Day Club (British Columbia)
We are delighted to have the Mission Mid-Day Club (British Columbia) participate in the Rotary Josh the Otter Water Safety and Literacy Project! They are our first club in Canada to participate!
Washington
In Woodinville, WA–Local Rotary Club votes to have Josh the Otter Water Safety & Literacy Project one of their literacy projects this fall/spring. Over 1,000 kids will benefit from the project!
Idaho
Rotarians in Idaho are taking part in the Josh the Otter Water Safety and Literacy Project!
Montana
Our partners with the US Army Corps of Engineers participated in International Otter Spotter Day!
South Dakota
SOFY (Save Our Farm Youth) contacted us to purchase coloring books for their local safety event to promote water safety!
Minnesota
From Dallas to Austin, Josh the Otter is building friendships with amazing water safety advocates!
Abbey’s Hope, a wonderful family foundation dedicated to drowning prevention partners with Josh the Otter throughout the year!
Michigan
Awesome Otter Spotters across Michigan participated in International Otter Spotter Day!
New York
Josh the Otter visited NEW YORK CITY for National Otter Spotter Day!
Rotaries throughout New York are showing their support and interest in Josh the Otter!
Massachusetts
Medford Rotary Club is doing the Josh the Otter Project!
Connecticut
Rotarians in Connecticut are spreading the message of Josh the Otter!
Pennsylvania
Dee Fisher, YMCA Aquatic Director, is taking on the project in PA!
New Jersey
With the help of District 7640 Governor Alan Stein & his fellow Rotarians, Josh the Otter Water Safety & Awareness Project will be a District-wide Rotary Project! Over 23 clubs participated this year reaching over 4,000 children with this life-saving message!
Toledo, OH
With the help of “The Josh Project” Josh the Otter will visit Toledo, Oh to join in their fundraising efforts! The Josh Project is family drowning prevention nonprofit that provides free swimming lessons to children that could not otherwise afford the lessons. We are grateful to work with them and look forward to partnering with them in the future!
Indiana
Jamie Montgomery helped promote National Otter Spotter Day in Evansville, IN. Over 11 volunteers participated to inform their community about water safety & national water safety month. Indy Infant swim is also partnering with Josh the Otter to promote water safety to their students and families!
Illinois
Coach Eve and her Learn to Swim program will be building their own Josh the Otter Water Safety project all around Chicago!
Josh the Otter was spotted in Chicago for the 1st Annual Otter Spotter Day May 2, 2011. He visited Millennium Park to greet hundreds of children and adults and educated them on water safety!
Iowa
The AMAZING supporters of Atlantic Iowa Kiwanis Club have purchased Josh the Otter Books for two years in a row for every kindergarten student in their community! Furthermore, Josh the Otter visits each classroom for the book reading!
Nebraska
Every kindergarten classroom in Lincoln, Nebraska has a copy of the book.
Over 725 copies of the book have been sent to all state licensed daycares in Nebraska.
North Omaha Rotary has taken on the project full throttle and will be helping local children learn about water safety with Josh the Otter!
Kiwanis Clubs in Milford and Seward have helped purchase books for all of their kindergarten students in their communities to educate them about water safety!
YMCA programs in Lincoln and Omaha teach children both the water safety mental education with Josh the Otter but also the physical education with Float 4 Life! Learn more at www.float4life.org!
Check out our events calendar for more details of where Josh has been in his home state!
California
Copies of the book have been sent to the Head Start coordinator for the San Fernando area of California.
Debbie Koenig, owner of Debbie’s Swim School is bringing Josh to Northern California…in a BIG way!
Paige, a teenager from Southern California, and her family are bringing Josh the Otter to their communities and hopefully to the LA schools!
Nevada
Sponsor Vergith Contracting in Henderson, NV gave the entire Clark County public school district 1,000 copies of the book. This includes all the Las Vegas and surrounding cities in Clark County. Also purchased 6,000 coloring books and stickers to give to every child in the those classrooms to take home.
Friends of Lake Sonoma Parks & Recreation purchased 25 books for their local community!
Colorado
The National Swimming Pool Foundation is supporting and promoting the Josh the Otter Water Safety and Awareness Project through introducing the program to the Colorado Springs Rotary Club, within their organization, and with their worldwide aquatic professional partners. We are so excited to see where NSPF will take Josh the Otter!
Littleton, Colorado the Foothills Parks & Recreation purchased books for their local community!
Kansas
Rotary Club of Overbrook is taking on the project in their community!
Missouri
Volunteer in Kansas City, MO & Grain Valley, MO spread water safety awareness with the First Annual National Otter Spotter Day! Check out www.facebook.com/joshtheotter for all the pics & albums of the May 2nd, 2011 event.
Virginia
In Virginia Beach, VA, 25,000 Josh the Otter Activity Sheets were distributed to children for Water Safety Awareness due to a grant the foundation earned from the local fire and police department!
Arizona
250 copies of the book have been sent to the Arizona Head Start Association in Tempe for redistribution throughout the state of Arizona.
1150 coloring books & stickers were sent to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital for their March 29th, 2011 Water Safety Day!
A local Phoenix Rotary Club has decided to pursue the Josh the Otter Water Safety & Literacy Project! Over 1,000 children will benefit from their project!
New Mexico
Wonderful Otter Spotters in New Mexico took part in the International Otter Spotter Day!
Texas
From Dallas to Austin, Josh the Otter is building friendships with amazing water safety advocates!
Colin’s Hope, an Austin family foundation dedicated to drowning prevention is collaborating with our foundation to build a coalition across the country to make BIG positive changes to end childhood drownings. They are utilizing Josh the Otter at their special events and remain great partners in our pursuit to keep kids and adults safe around water!
Kevin Tucker, an exceptional water safety advocate, has been such an amazing partner with our organization. He has been visiting with the amazing members of TX IPSSA & local pool builders to educate them about Josh the Otter in hopes to create sustainable partnerships towards drowning prevention.
Josh the Otter will be at many water safety events throughout the summer across TX!
Rotary Club of Bride City/Orangefield is taking on the project!
Oklahoma
Shawnee, OK– Jenny is spreading Josh the Otter to her community in hopes to prevent childhood drowning!
Arkansas
Madeline Brindley has been presenting the “Josh the Baby Otter” book to children all over her state. She has been titled Miss Conway Outstanding Teen and also has a new title as the Community Director of Arkansas for the National Drowning Prevention Foundation. Her Platform is “Safe Splash: Water Safety.” Madeline lost her father from a rip current incident. He was able to heroically save a young boy and when he went to save the young boy’s father, he lost his own life during the rescue attempt. Please visit her website at: http://missconwayoutstandingteen2014.com/
Louisiana
A BRAND new Rotary club in Rayne, LA has taken on Josh the Otter Water Safety & Literacy project as one of their first projects! They will be distributing educational packets to nearly 100 children in their community!
North Carolina
Carteret County, eastern NC – 5 Rotary Clubs combined to present Josh the Otter to over 800 students. We visited every public and private school in the County during April & May. It was enthusiastically received by both educators and Rotarians, and was so successful that we have been invited back next year. Josh has also visited the NC Aquarium 3 times and presented in front of the Otter Tank there. Cary, NC Rotary Club will be working with Josh the Otter Water Safety & Literacy project this spring to help prevent childhood drowning in their community! Thank you!
South Carolina
Michelle Ainsworth Zieg, Founder of Because of B.R.A.Y.D.E.N., took part in our 1st Annual National Otter Spotter Day to promote May as National Water Safety Month!
Georgia
Middle Georgia Little Swimmers leader Victoria Campbell is organizing her own grassroots Josh the Otter campaign within her school district! Way to Go!!!
Atlanta’s Brookhaven Rotary supported the Josh the Otter project in 2012. JCMF Board Member, Kerry Miller, spoke at their club in late 2012.
Director Kathy Collingsworth met with the Atlanta Salvation Army Kroc Center to begin discussions about bringing the Josh the Otter Water Safety and Awareness Project to their center.
Florida
Merritt Island, Florida Rotary Club purchased 500 copies of the book to give to each kindergarten student in their city. Hobe Sound-Port Salerno Rotary is joining in on the water safety project as well! District 6930 has purchased over 7,000 books!
Barbara G. in Panama City, Florida helped acquire a new otter at ZOO WORLD name Josh and the many children she has been educating there as a result! We are grateful for District 6960 for their growing commitment to Josh the Otter program! They have reached thousands of children and are building their program each year!
Colombia
We were so honored to have the Santi Rivera Foundation from Colombia promoting water safety for kids with the Spanish version of the Josh the Otter book. The foundation also participated in our May 2013 International Otter Spotter Day!
Australia
Hannah’s Foundation www.hannahsfoundation.org has purchased their own Josh the Otter mascot to help promote water safety education for children! They are a wonderful drowning prevention organization in Australia and we are grateful for their partnership!
Japan
We were so honored to work with K38 Japan who participated in the May 2013 International Josh the Otter Spotter Day!
Pakistan
Rawalpindi Rotary Club is pursuing their own Josh the Otter Project to reach 1,000’s of children with water safety education!
