USA Swimming Foundation Shatters Record with $898,184 in Swim Lesson Grants

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USA Swimming Foundation Shatters Record with $898,184 in Swim Lesson Grants

The grant distribution is a 75% increase from last year, aided by a $200,000 gift from the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, led by VP Rowdy Gaines (above). Archive photo via Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography

It is another record-setting year in 2022 for the USA Swimming Foundation’s free-and-reduced-cost swim lessons program, with $898,184 in grants awarded for swim lesson providers.

That is a more than 75% increase from the $507,618 in grants awarded in 2021.

A big part of the bump was made possible via a $200,000 gift from Step Into Swim, which is an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Foundation, plus an additional $80,000 grant approved by the USA Swimming Board of Directors.

The USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, vetted 184 youth grant applications through a competitive annual review process, selecting 102 programs across 29 states to receive $763,184 in funding as part of its 2022 grant program for swim lesson providers. These grants will support youth programs offering free or reduced-cost swim lessons, providing an estimated 19,870 children with the opportunity to learn how to swim.

“Learning to swim from a qualified instructor drastically reduces the risk of childhood drowning by 88%. The more awareness we bring to the importance of swim instruction, the more lives we can save,” said three-time Olympic gold medalist and VP of Partnerships and Development for PHTA Rowdy Gaines. “Step Into Swim is proud to collaborate with an organization like the USA Swimming Foundation, whose efforts to support learn-to-swim programs is important, life-saving work.”

In addition to that money, for the first time, the USA Swimming Foundation has awarded $135,000 in grants to 39 adult learn-to-swim programs across 22 states, providing lessons to about 2,007 adults. That effort is part of a new partnership with U.S. Masters Swimming, which in 2021 incorporated its Swimming Saves Lives Foundation adult learn-to-swim program under the USA Swimming Foundation umbrella.

U.S. Masters Swimming continues to own and administer adult learn-to-swim curriculum and certification for instructors, as well as provide resources to programs offering adult lessons throughout the United States.

According to CDC data, about 11 people die each day from drowning in the United States, and more children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause except birth defects.

Drowning deaths among children have fallen substantially over the last 20 years in the United States. From 1999 through 2019, the rate among children aged 0-17 reduced from 1.6 per 100,000 to 1.0 per 100,000.

2022 Grant Recipients

Youth Learn to Swim Programs

ProgramCityState
Anderson Swim School LLCCincinnatiOhio
Bangor Region YMCABangorMaine
Boys & Girls Club of Deep East TexasNacogdochesTexas
Boys & Girls Club of LawrenceLawrenceMassachusetts
Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Inc.ChicagoIllinois
City of AikenAikenSouth Carolina
City of AnokaAnokaMinnesota
City of Bakersfield Recreation and ParksBakersfieldCalifornia
City of ColusaColusaCalifornia
City of EnglewoodEnglewoodNew Jersey
City of Englewood, COEnglewoodColorado
City of FolsomFolsomCalifornia
City of Jersey CityJersey CityNew Jersey
City of KingKing CityCalifornia
City of MarionMarionIllinois
City of MemphisMemphisTennessee
City of Myrtle Beach, SCMyrtle BeachSouth Carolina
City of PeoriaPeoriaArizona
City of RiversideRiversideCalifornia
City Swim ProjectBuffaloNew York
CLE Swimming, LLCOlmsted FallsOhio
Clovis Unified School DistrictClovisCalifornia
College Hill Presbyterian Swim MinistryCincinnatiOhio
Dad’s Club Aquatic Center /  Dad’s Club Swim StartHoustonTexas
Evanston Swim School LLCEvanstonIllinois
Fort Worth Drowning Prevention CoalitionFort WorthTexas
Grand Rapids Ray and Joan Kroc Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community CenterGrand RapidsMichigan
Greater Holyoke YMCA HolyokeMassachusetts
Greater Peoria Family YMCAPeoriaIllinois
Greater Richmond Aquatics PartnershipRichmondVirginia
Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics, Inc.HoustonTexas
Historic Cleveland Ave YMCA of Montgomery, AL (YMCA of Greater Montgomery)MontgomeryAlabama
Inspirational Triathlon Racing International d/b/a i-triEast HamptonNew York
Jewish Community Center–IndianapolisIndianapolisIndiana
Kenosha YMCAKenoshaWisconsin
Kraken Swim SchoolHubbardOhio
Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, IncNew HavenConnecticut
Madison Area YMCAMadisonNew Jersey
Magnolia Independent School District  – Magnolia Aquatic ClubMagnoliaTexas
Merrimack Valley YMCALawrenceMassachusetts
Metro Aquatics BoostersTacomaWashington
Metropolitan YMCA of the OrangesLivingstonNew Jersey
Michigan City Piranha SwimMichigan CityIndiana
Mundelein Swim School LLCMundeleinIllinois
Muskegon Heights Public School Academy Systems MuskegonMichigan
Muskegon YMCAMuskegonMichigan
Nashville DolphinsNashvilleTennessee
NILE SWIM CLUB OF YEADONYeadonPennsylvania
North Dallas Aquatics Inc.FriscoTexas
North Suburban Young Men’s Christian AssociationNorthbrookIllinois
Northbrook Swim School LLCNorthbrookIllinois
Port Charlotte Pirates Swim Club, Inc.MurdockFlorida
Raritan Valley YMCA, A New Jersey Non-Profit CorporationEast BrunswickNew Jersey
Robbinsdale Community Education-District 281PlymouthMinnesota
Rutherford Swim AssociationRutherfordNew Jersey
Santa Fe AquaticsSanta FeNew Mexico
Sensory Enhanced AquaticsKansas CityKansas
sharks swim clubLeague CityTexas
Silver Bay YMCASilver BayNew York
South Sound Young Men’s Christian AssociationOlympiaWashington
Specialty Aquatic Programs LLCTroyMichigan
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy/Walter Schroeder Aquatic CenterMilwaukeeWisconsin
Stamford Family YMCAStamfordConnecticut
SwemKids International, Inc.AtlantaGeorgia
Swim Beyond LLCAtlantaGeorgia
Swim Center at Westminster SchoolSimsburyConnecticut
Swim to the TopTuscaloosaAlabama
SwimLabs LittletonLittletonColorado
Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, Inc.TampaFlorida
TANKPROOFPrairievilleLouisiana
The Gift of SwimmingWinter GardenFlorida
The Riverbrook Regional YMCA, Inc.WiltonConnecticut
The Salvation ArmyRancho Palos VerdesCalifornia
The West Cook YMCA, Inc.Oak ParkIllinois
Tillamook County Family YMCATillamookOregon
Trident Swim Foundation, Inc.New YorkNew York
Tucson Jewish Community Center, Inc.TucsonArizona
Upper Palmetto YMCARock HillSouth Carolina
Urban Swim Cleveland LLCCleveland HeightsOhio
V3 SportsMinneapolisMinnesota
Valley of the Sun YMCAPhoenixArizona
Woodland Hills Aquatic TeamPittsburghPennsylvania
YMCA of Boulder ValleyLafayetteColorado
YMCA of Eastern Union CountyElizabethNew Jersey
YMCA of Greater Dayton – Downtown BranchDaytonOhio
YMCA of Greater LouisvilleLouisvilleKentucky
YMCA of Greater MichianaNilesMichigan
YMCA of Greater OmahaOmahaNebraska
YMCA of Greater SeattleSeattleWashington
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster CountyKingstonNew York
YMCA of Metropolitan ChicagoChicagoIllinois
YMCA of New Orleans MetropolitanMetairieLouisiana
YMCA of Prattville, Alabama, Inc. PrattvilleAlabama
YMCA of Snohomish CountyEverettWashington
YMCA of South CollierMarco IslandFlorida
YMCA of Southwest WashingtonLongviewWashington
YMCA of the Greater Houston AreaHoustonTexas
YMCA of the NorthMinneapolisMinnesota
YMCA of the North Shore, Inc.BeverlyMassachusetts
YMCA, BostonAttleboroMassachusetts
YWCA Evanston/North ShoreEvanstonIllinois
YWCO of Athens, GA, Inc. AthensGeorgia

Adult Learn to Swim Programs

ProgramCityState
Bangor Region YMCABangorMaine
Central Adult Learn-to-Swim, Inc.LouisvilleKentucky
City of Englewood Recreation DepartmentEnglewoodNew Jersey
City of Rockport – Community PoolRockportTexas
Evolutionary Aquatics, LLCCharlotteNorth Carolina
Find Your Fins, IncTucsonArizona
Fort Worth Drowning Prevention CoalitionFort WorthTexas
Friends of + POOL, Inc.New YorkNew York
Greenville SplashMauldinSouth Carolina
Groton RecreationGrotonNew York
Jewish Community Center of Greater BaltimoreOwings MillsMaryland
Marin Aquatic MastersNovatoCalifornia
Miracle Swimming School for Adults, LLCSarasotaFlorida
Montgomery County RecreationWheatonMaryland
Moscow Chinook Masters- Adult Learn to SwimMoscowIdaho
Mt. Pleasant AquaticsMt. PleasantUtah
Muskegon Young Men’s Christian AssociationMuskegonMichigan
Muslimahs Endure, IncAtlantaGeorgia
Phoenix Swim ClubParadise ValleyArizona
Piedmont Family YMCACharlottesvilleVirginia
Raritan Valley YMCAEast BrunswickNew Jersey
Rhythm and Stroke LLCClevelandOhio
Rockland County YMCANyackNew York
S3 Swim DBA Specialty Aquatic Programs LLCTroyMichigan
Sensory Enhanced AquaticsKansas CityKansas
Sigma SwimmingFort WorthTexas
SilverPeak PerformanceSunlandCalifornia
Swim Fit AlaskaFairbanksAlaska
SwimBox Community FoundationSpringfieldVirginia
Swimming with Alaska MastersAnchorageAlaska
Team New York Aquatics, Inc.New YorkNew York
The Salvation Army Western Territorial HeadquartersRancho Palos VerdesCalifornia
Valley of the Sun YMCAPhoenixArizona
West Suburban YMCANewtonMassachusetts
YMCA of Greater CincinnatiCincinnatiOhio
YMCA of Greater HoustonHoustonTexas
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster CountyKingstonNew York
YMCA of South Palm Beach County, Inc.Boca RatonFlorida
Young Women’s Christian Organization (YWCO)AthensGeorgia
Zionsville Aquatic Center/Zionsville Com SchoolsZionsvilleIndiana

About Braden Keith

Invite friends and family to be your guest at the y on june 17! West virginia fortnite gamer holds charity event for juneteenth. Esports is a video game competition for individuals and teams.

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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