Learn to Swim wraps up another successful season of swim lessons
Water safety and fun in one sweet program
By Learn to Swim Co-chairs Greg Jacobs, Rick Wilson and Administrator Cindy Carter
The Sebastopol Rotary Club put on its 39th Learn to Swim program, which which ran from April 17 to May 11. We had been worried because the program had been cancelled twice during the pandemic, and last year, only half of the schools that normally participate decided to do the program. This year, however, we had 10 schools, including Forestville Elementary for the first time, and 330 kids. We had a record 130 volunteers, who were parents, family, neighbors, community members, and even kids. We also had several homeschooled kids taking lessons.
As far as we know, Sebastopol is the only city in the United States that offers free swim lessons to every elementary school kid in the area. A lot of children would never get swimming lessons without Learn to Swim, so Rotary thinks it is the least it can do for the community—and it’s so important. There were two near drownings in our region during the last month—one at the Russian River when a mother went in after her 3-year-old child and got swept downstream by the current, and when nine people got thrown out of their boat in Tomales Bay. Fortunately all were rescued. As a part of the Learn to Swim program, we have State Park Ranger-Lifeguards from Salmon Creek talk to all of our kids about being safe at the ocean and the Russian River.
The program is run by the Sebastopol Rotary Club, which pays the pool fee and provides tee-shirts and swim bags to the kids as mementos of their lessons. We also give every volunteer a tee. The club has orientation classes for the volunteers before lessons start and also sends videos of teaching techniques to every volunteer to help them teach.
As has been said many times in the past, Sebastopol is surrounded by a beautiful landscape, with the ocean and the Russian River nearby, but a landscape which can be dangerous. These lessons reduce the chance for a disaster, give a child a lifelong skill, and increase each child's self esteem.
