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Home / * Metro Detroit Round-Up / 💦 Everyone in the Pool: Free Swim Lessons in Metro Detroit Help Bridge the Gap in Water Safety

💦 Everyone in the Pool: Free Swim Lessons in Metro Detroit Help Bridge the Gap in Water Safety

Learning to swim is more than just a fun childhood milestone — it’s a life-saving skill. Yet, many families in Metro Detroit still face significant barriers to water safety education. From limited access to pools and instructors to the high cost of lessons, these challenges have created alarming disparities, especially for Black children and underserved communities.

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Thankfully, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks’ “Everyone in the Pool” initiative is helping change that.

🏊‍♀️ Why This Program Matters

Statistics show that Black children ages 5–19 are more than five times more likely to drown than their white peers. This disparity is rooted in decades of unequal access to safe swimming spaces and lessons.

The Everyone in the Pool initiative is working to close this gap by offering free swim lessons for kids and adults across Southeast Michigan. The goal? Equip as many families as possible with the water safety skills they need — no matter their background or income level.

📈 Real Impact in 2024

In just one year, the program has made big waves. Here’s a look at what was accomplished in 2024:

  • 3,128 free swim lessons provided across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties
  • 10 partner organizations collaborated to expand access
  • 57% of participants mastered breathing control techniques like bobbing
  • 87% learned how to safely get in and out of the pool on their own
  • Back floating, a key survival skill, showed major improvement among participants

And for the first time, adult swim lessons and in-school swim programs were introduced to reach even more people where they are.

🏫 Where to Find Free Swim Lessons in Metro Detroit

Through Everyone in the Pool, families in Metro Detroit can access free swim lessons at the following locations:

🌟 YMCA Locations Offering Adult Swim Lessons:

  • Macomb
  • Detroit
  • Farmington Hills
  • Wyandotte
  • Birmingham
  • Royal Oak

🏫 School-Based Swim Programs:

  • Detroit Public Schools Community District
    (East English Village Preparatory Academy & others)
  • South Lake High School
  • Whitmore Lake Public Schools
  • Center Line Public Schools
  • Annapolis High School (Dearborn Heights) – launching free swim lessons in 2025

These programs often run during school hours or after school, and in many cases, transportation is not needed — a huge win for working families.

🛟 The Bigger Picture: More Than Just Lessons

Water safety programs like this don’t just teach swimming — they build confidence, health, and generational change. As one City of Detroit aquatics coordinator shared, two grandmothers watched their grandsons not only learn to swim but also overcome their fear of water. “That lets me know our program is working,” she said.

📣 How to Sign Up for Free Swim Lessons

Enrollment is managed through program partners like:

📧 To find a program near you or sign up, visit your local YMCA or school district’s website, or check with Huron-Clinton Metroparks for current opportunities.

💬 Community Collaboration That Saves Lives

By joining forces with schools, the YMCA, and local leaders, Metroparks has made a lasting impact. In 2024, they even piloted a free lifeguard training program to help address nationwide staffing shortages — giving teens and adults valuable job skills while making pools safer.

Thanks to support from the CDC Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and other grant partners, the program will continue to grow in 2025, expanding access to more schools and neighborhoods.

As Amanda Barone of the YMCA put it:

“We may never know how many lives we’ve saved, but we do know more children and families are safer around water because we came together.”

🧭 More Local Resources

Looking for other free enrichment programs in the area? Check out Kids Bowl Free in Metro Detroit or Museums on Us.

💙 Join the Movement

If you or someone you know has been wanting to learn how to swim but didn’t know where to start, Everyone in the Pool is here to help — no cost, no pressure, just support and life-saving skills.

Because every child deserves to feel safe and confident in the water.