Charlotte families to have access to free swimming lessons

CHARLOTTE — A program that aims to make swim lessons more accessible for Charlotte families has returned after a yearlong pause.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte has received a grant for its Safety Around Water Program.

This means around 700 kids will be able to learn how to swim for free this summer.

Prior to the pandemic, the Y offered the program at 30 low-income apartment communities in Charlotte.

Not only was it free for families, it didn’t require travel, and many instructors were bilingual.

However, that program came to an end due to the lifeguard shortage.

Danika Joseph’s three-year-old son, Levi, is one of the 700 kids participating in the returned program.

“It was very important for me. I didn’t grow up learning how to swim. I still don’t know how to swim, and I thought that it was very important for him not to have that same experience as me,” Joseph explained.

>> Levi explains the difference knowing how to swim has made in his life, in the video at the top of the page.

VIDEO: Minorities less likely to take swim lessons, CDC says. Meck County wants to change that.

Minorities less likely to take swim lessons, CDC says. Meck County wants to change that.

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