Swim for Life

Swim for Life is a water safety program offered to New York City's public school second graders.

In the United States, accidental drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among kids under the age of 14, with drowning incidences disproportionately impacting minority children (USA swimming foundation). Swim for Life strives to reduce the number of drowning occurrences by teaching NYC second graders how to swim so they can learn vital water safety skills, develop healthy fitness habits, and have fun in the water throughout their lives.

The Program Model

Swim for Life targets second graders because it is an ideal time for them to learn to swim, they are not yet engaged in standardized testing, are eager to learn, have few inhibitions, and have not developed body image concerns. Here's how it works:

• Three 10-week sessions per year (October through June).
• Second grade students come as a class one hour per week as part of the school day.
• Classes are held 5 days per week during the hours of 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
• Pre- and post-swim evaluations ensure that students have successfully learned basic skills.

Swim for Life tackles the issue of drowning among children by dramatically changing the way public agencies and private organizations work together to access swim facilities and deliver swim instruction. With a centralized administration through NYC Parks and guided by some of the best swim models nationwide, Swim for Life aligns New York City's top certified swimming instructors with a common curriculum, program delivery model and a swim council to advocate for drowning prevention. Currently, NYC Parks, collaborates with the Department of Education to connect students to nearby pools.