The YMCA of Northern Colorado is providing over 250 children and adults with free swim lessons through its Safety Around Water Program which begins May 31 and ends June 3.
The program will be offered at YMCA locations in Johnstown, Longmont, Boulder, Lafayette and Cheyenne.
Safety Around Water is a standardized, nationwide YMCA program which aims to reduce the number of drownings by educating adults and children.
“This is a chance for us to open our pools to hundreds of people who have not had the opportunity to learn to swim,” said Northern Colorado Aquatics Director Amy Whitsell “Formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%, so this is about empowering participants to develop skills that can save their lives or the lives of others.”
The program is designed for children 3 to 12-years-old and adults 18 and up who have not had prior swim lessons. The program consists of four 30-minute sessions where participants will learn basic water safety, according to a press release.
Participants will learn skills like floating, blowing bubbles and making forward progress. The class also focuses on safety skills like CPR, identifying swim areas and water rescue techniques. Survival skills are incorporated as well such as pushing off the bottom and resurfacing.
Anyone can register for YMCA’s Safety Around Water at https://ymcanoco.org/events/safety-around-water. For families who are unable to participate in the free Safety Around Water program they may also apply for financial assistance for other YMCA programs at https://www.ymcanoco.org.
