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

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

Program City State
Anderson Swim School LLC Cincinnati Ohio
Bangor Region YMCA Bangor Maine
Boys & Girls Club of Deep East Texas Nacogdoches Texas
Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Lawrence Massachusetts
Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Inc. Chicago Illinois
City of Aiken Aiken South Carolina
City of Anoka Anoka Minnesota
City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Bakersfield California
City of Colusa Colusa California
City of Englewood Englewood New Jersey
City of Englewood, CO Englewood Colorado
City of Folsom Folsom California
City of Jersey City Jersey City New Jersey
City of King King City California
City of Marion Marion Illinois
City of Memphis Memphis Tennessee
City of Myrtle Beach, SC Myrtle Beach South Carolina
City of Peoria Peoria Arizona
City of Riverside Riverside California
City Swim Project Buffalo New York
CLE Swimming, LLC Olmsted Falls Ohio
Clovis Unified School District Clovis California
College Hill Presbyterian Swim Ministry Cincinnati Ohio
Dad’s Club Aquatic Center /  Dad’s Club Swim Start Houston Texas
Evanston Swim School LLC Evanston Illinois
Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition Fort Worth Texas
Grand Rapids Ray and Joan Kroc Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community Center Grand Rapids Michigan
Greater Holyoke YMCA  Holyoke Massachusetts
Greater Peoria Family YMCA Peoria Illinois
Greater Richmond Aquatics Partnership Richmond Virginia
Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics, Inc. Houston Texas
Historic Cleveland Ave YMCA of Montgomery, AL (YMCA of Greater Montgomery) Montgomery Alabama
Inspirational Triathlon Racing International d/b/a i-tri East Hampton New York
Jewish Community Center–Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana
Kenosha YMCA Kenosha Wisconsin
Kraken Swim School Hubbard Ohio
Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc New Haven Connecticut
Madison Area YMCA Madison New Jersey
Magnolia Independent School District  – Magnolia Aquatic Club Magnolia Texas
Merrimack Valley YMCA Lawrence Massachusetts
Metro Aquatics Boosters Tacoma Washington
Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges Livingston New Jersey
Michigan City Piranha Swim Michigan City Indiana
Mundelein Swim School LLC Mundelein Illinois
Muskegon Heights Public School Academy Systems  Muskegon Michigan
Muskegon YMCA Muskegon Michigan
Nashville Dolphins Nashville Tennessee
NILE SWIM CLUB OF YEADON Yeadon Pennsylvania
North Dallas Aquatics Inc. Frisco Texas
North Suburban Young Men’s Christian Association Northbrook Illinois
Northbrook Swim School LLC Northbrook Illinois
Port Charlotte Pirates Swim Club, Inc. Murdock Florida
Raritan Valley YMCA, A New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation East Brunswick New Jersey
Robbinsdale Community Education-District 281 Plymouth Minnesota
Rutherford Swim Association Rutherford New Jersey
Santa Fe Aquatics Santa Fe New Mexico
Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Kansas City Kansas
sharks swim club League City Texas
Silver Bay YMCA Silver Bay New York
South Sound Young Men’s Christian Association Olympia Washington
Specialty Aquatic Programs LLC Troy Michigan
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy/Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center Milwaukee Wisconsin
Stamford Family YMCA Stamford Connecticut
SwemKids International, Inc. Atlanta Georgia
Swim Beyond LLC Atlanta Georgia
Swim Center at Westminster School Simsbury Connecticut
Swim to the Top Tuscaloosa Alabama
SwimLabs Littleton Littleton Colorado
Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, Inc. Tampa Florida
TANKPROOF Prairieville Louisiana
The Gift of Swimming Winter Garden Florida
The Riverbrook Regional YMCA, Inc. Wilton Connecticut
The Salvation Army Rancho Palos Verdes California
The West Cook YMCA, Inc. Oak Park Illinois
Tillamook County Family YMCA Tillamook Oregon
Trident Swim Foundation, Inc. New York New York
Tucson Jewish Community Center, Inc. Tucson Arizona
Upper Palmetto YMCA Rock Hill South Carolina
Urban Swim Cleveland LLC Cleveland Heights Ohio
V3 Sports Minneapolis Minnesota
Valley of the Sun YMCA Phoenix Arizona
Woodland Hills Aquatic Team Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
YMCA of Boulder Valley Lafayette Colorado
YMCA of Eastern Union County Elizabeth New Jersey
YMCA of Greater Dayton – Downtown Branch Dayton Ohio
YMCA of Greater Louisville Louisville Kentucky
YMCA of Greater Michiana Niles Michigan
YMCA of Greater Omaha Omaha Nebraska
YMCA of Greater Seattle Seattle Washington
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County Kingston New York
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago Illinois
YMCA of New Orleans Metropolitan Metairie Louisiana
YMCA of Prattville, Alabama, Inc.  Prattville Alabama
YMCA of Snohomish County Everett Washington
YMCA of South Collier Marco Island Florida
YMCA of Southwest Washington Longview Washington
YMCA of the Greater Houston Area Houston Texas
YMCA of the North Minneapolis Minnesota
YMCA of the North Shore, Inc. Beverly Massachusetts
YMCA, Boston Attleboro Massachusetts
YWCA Evanston/North Shore Evanston Illinois
YWCO of Athens, GA, Inc.  Athens Georgia

Adult Learn to Swim Programs

Program City State
Bangor Region YMCA Bangor Maine
Central Adult Learn-to-Swim, Inc. Louisville Kentucky
City of Englewood Recreation Department Englewood New Jersey
City of Rockport – Community Pool Rockport Texas
Evolutionary Aquatics, LLC Charlotte North Carolina
Find Your Fins, Inc Tucson Arizona
Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition Fort Worth Texas
Friends of + POOL, Inc. New York New York
Greenville Splash Mauldin South Carolina
Groton Recreation Groton New York
Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore Owings Mills Maryland
Marin Aquatic Masters Novato California
Miracle Swimming School for Adults, LLC Sarasota Florida
Montgomery County Recreation Wheaton Maryland
Moscow Chinook Masters- Adult Learn to Swim Moscow Idaho
Mt. Pleasant Aquatics Mt. Pleasant Utah
Muskegon Young Men’s Christian Association Muskegon Michigan
Muslimahs Endure, Inc Atlanta Georgia
Phoenix Swim Club Paradise Valley Arizona
Piedmont Family YMCA Charlottesville Virginia
Raritan Valley YMCA East Brunswick New Jersey
Rhythm and Stroke LLC Cleveland Ohio
Rockland County YMCA Nyack New York
S3 Swim DBA Specialty Aquatic Programs LLC Troy Michigan
Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Kansas City Kansas
Sigma Swimming Fort Worth Texas
SilverPeak Performance Sunland California
Swim Fit Alaska Fairbanks Alaska
SwimBox Community Foundation Springfield Virginia
Swimming with Alaska Masters Anchorage Alaska
Team New York Aquatics, Inc. New York New York
The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters Rancho Palos Verdes California
Valley of the Sun YMCA Phoenix Arizona
West Suburban YMCA Newton Massachusetts
YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio
YMCA of Greater Houston Houston Texas
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County Kingston New York
YMCA of South Palm Beach County, Inc. Boca Raton Florida
Young Women’s Christian Organization (YWCO) Athens Georgia
Zionsville Aquatic Center/Zionsville Com Schools Zionsville Indiana

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Linda Little
2 years ago

Could I apply for a grant for elementary school students? We could use the local YMCA for the swim lessons.

Last edited 2 years ago by Linda Little
JR K
2 years ago

The YMCA should not be taking USA Swimming Monies when they are making record profits.
Shame on them.

Eagleswim
Reply to  JR K
2 years ago

Which YMCA? They are all independent 501c3s so which one are you saying should not be taking charitable funds? And what do you mean by “profits”?

Coach Macgyver
Reply to  JR K
2 years ago

I’m not sure you understand how a non-profit works.

yardfan
2 years ago

Does that money come from the mandatory 5% that USA Swimming wants to impose on clubs for their fundraising? If that is the case, give the applause to those clubs. They did the work for that money.

About Braden Keith

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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