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

Adult Learn to Swim Programs