NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City’s free swimming lessons program will reach 4,800 more second graders this year, teaching the life-saving skill to a total of 18,000 students, many in underserved communities.
Mayor Eric Adams first announced the expansion at his State of the City address, but held a press conference with NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue on Tuesday to explain more about the program.
“We’re saving families over $1.3 million on swim lessons,” Adams said. “We’re putting more money back into the pockets of everyday New Yorkers because we know that having access to free swim lessons, pools and beaches, can make a difference in the families lives.”
The free lessons—which reached over 13,000 young people in Fiscal Year 2024—will take place in pools at city public schools and select third-party indoor pools.
Adams emphasized the importance of the skill for students, which he says is both a positive recreational activity, and a life-saving tool.
“Rarely do you have a duality to a skill like swimming,” he said. “Not only is it a form of play, and a form of social and emotional intelligence and development, it also saves lives.”
The Adams administration has worked to combat the national lifeguard shortage by altering testing requirements and increasing lifeguard pay, paving the way for a greater swimming capacity at public pools and beaches.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeffrey Roth emphasized the city’s investment in swimming infrastructure, stating that New Yorkers will be flocking to NYC’s 14 miles of beaches and dozens of pools as summer comes.
“While we invest in the hardware, spending over $1 billion to retrofit and build new city pools, all that infrastructure only goes so far without the safety skills to go along with it,” Roth said. “We’re starting kids early, in second grade, providing free swim safety classes so kids build skills that will follow them for the rest of their lives.”