ST. PAUL, Minn. — Monday may be April Fools’ Day, but St. Paul is celebrating April Pools Day as registration opens for free youth swimming lessons.
The city announced swimming lessons for young people in St. Paul will be free of charge this summer as an effort to increase water safety.
City leaders said this first of its kind program in the nation aims at removing any barriers that prevent families and kids to access swim lessons and water safety education. Understanding and mastering swimming skills are proven factors in preventing death by drowning.
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Drowning kills about 4,000 people each year and is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second cause of death in kids ages 5-14 in the United States.
The aquatics facilities supervisor for the city of St. Paul, David Albornoz, said for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries, and this impacts disproportionally children of color and/or children from historically marginalized communities with a barrier to access swim lessons and water safety education.
Summer lessons will be offered at Como Regional Park Pool and Highland Park Aquatic Center. Youth swimming lessons are open to St. Paul residents only and registration will open at 9 a.m. Monday online, by calling 651-642-0650 or in person at Great River Water Park. A water safety and swimming course will also be offered at Lake Phalen Beach this summer.
The free youth swimming lessons are the latest addition in a portfolio of aquatics programs aimed at creating equitable access to water recreation and building strong water safety skills throughout all of St. Paul. Other recent free and low-cost aquatics programs include:
- Women’s Swim Night – Swim time providing equitable access to aquatics facilities for women and girls who may otherwise not be utilizing these spaces due to religious beliefs or cultural practices.
- Sensory Friendly Swim Time – Swim time for individuals with sensory sensitives.
- Rondo Community Free Open Swim Sundays – Free open swim time with water safety education.
- Teen Aquatic Fitness – Free swim time with water safety and lifeguard skills training, mentorship program, service projects, and aquatic fitness for ages 14-18.
- Senior Aquatics Memberships – Free and reduced rate aquatics memberships for Saint Paul residents age 62+ with a financial need.
- Saint Paul Sunnies Developmental Swim Team – Developmental swim team with a mission to reach youth ages 10-14 who have historically experienced barriers to traditional swim teams.
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- St. Paul