Program Details
Swim For Charlie is partnering with North Carolina elementary schools and area aquatic centers to transport 2nd graders during the school day to the pool for water safety/swimming instruction.
Swim for Charlie eliminates the primary barriers that keep kids from being water safe — cost, access to pools, and transportation — by building and executing the program based on creating collaborative partnerships with schools, pools and volunteers.
We conduct eight pool sessions over two weeks. Each pool session consists of a 10-minute water safety talk and the introduction of an aquatic career, followed by 40 minutes of pool instruction.
The program uses the NC Healthful Living Standards and is conducted as part of the Physical Education curriculum.
Long Term Goals
During the past two and half academic school years (2023-2024, 2024-2025, and half of 2025-2026), Swim for Charlie added five new host pools to our program: Hope Valley Country Club, Durham Parks and Recreation’s Edison Johnson Aquatic Center, Duke University’s Brodie Aquatic Center, Duke Faculty Club, and Jewish for Good’s Jewish Community Center pool. As a result, Swim for Charlie has now served over 4,500 students as of January 2026
To further improve and grow our existing programs in Durham Public Schools and Orange County Schools it is crucial that we continue to identify and develop pool partners with facilities close to our participating schools, thereby decreasing travel time for our students.
To support the continued expansion of the program, Swim for Charlie is growing its resouces to add more North Carolina school districts and aquatic facilities as partners. We consider the unique assets and challenges of each new partnership we seek, and always prioritize including schools with the greatest need.
Our goal is to expand access to the Swim for Charlie program statewide to any NC Public school’s 2nd-grade classroom with students who are not water safe, and to continue our efforts for the long term, over decades, creating a profound positive impact on youth lives, the public health, while aligning with Charlie’s broad vision.
Proven Model
Swim for Charlie duplicated the highly successful model of partnering with schools as first proven in Guilford County, NC. The Greensboro Aquatic Center in partnership with Guilford County Schools created an outstanding Learn to Swim program, and has been operating since 2011. They graduate ~2000 students a year.
If you are an NC school district interested in information on bringing Swim for Charlie to your 2nd grade students, please contact Tanyss Mason at Tanyss.Mason@swimforcharlie.org
Parent FAQ | Preguntas Frecuentes para Padres
Will my child miss important classroom work?
- No. Teachers adjust the school day so no important classroom work is missed. Swim for Charlie (SFC) is like having gym at the pool instead of in the gym.
How will the children get to the pool?
- Students will ride a Durham Public Schools/Orange County Schools (DPS/OCS) bus with DPS/OCS chaperones.
Who will accompany them to the pool?
- DPS/OCS chaperones, who may be teachers, other DPS/OCS staff, or parents who have completed a DPS/OCS background check.
Who will teach the children?
- Swim for Charlie’s Instructors are trained swimmers with diverse backgrounds—certified instructors, lifeguards, competitive swimmers, educators, parents, and even grandparents with experience teaching children to swim.
Have the instructors passed a background check?
- Yes. All instructors must complete a DPS/OCS background check.
Are there lifeguards at the pool?
- Yes. Lifeguards are on duty and monitoring the pool at all times.
How do I know my child will be safe in the water?
- An instructor will always be with your child. Groups never exceed a 6:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and they are often smaller. All swim lessons are monitored by multiple life guards.
What if my child needs a swimsuit?
- Swim for Charlie provides swimsuits for any child who needs one. Just indicate the size suit needed on the permission form.
Should the swimsuit go home between lessons?
- We recommend keeping the swimsuit at school. It dries quickly and stays clean due to the chlorine in the pool water. When swimsuits go home, students often forget to bring them back and may have to miss lessons.
Should my child bring goggles or a swim cap?
- No. We discourage goggles and swim caps. Students are learning water safety skills, and we want the experience to reflect real-life conditions.
¿Mi hijo(a) perderá trabajo académico importante?
- No. Los maestros ajustan la jornada escolar para que no se pierda ningún trabajo importante. Swim for Charlie (SFC) es como tener educación física en la piscina en lugar del gimnasio.
¿Cómo llegarán los niños a la piscina?
- Los estudiantes viajarán en un autobús de Durham Public Schools/ Orange County Schools (DPS/OCS) con acompañantes de DPS/OCS.
¿Quién los acompañará a la piscina?
- Acompañantes de DPS/OCS, que pueden ser maestros, otros empleados de DPS/OCS o padres que hayan completado la verificación de antecedentes de DPS/OCS.
¿Quién enseñará a los niños?
- Los instructores son nadadores capacitados con diversos antecedentes: instructores certificados, salvavidas, nadadores competitivos, educadores, padres e incluso abuelos con experiencia enseñando a niños a nadar.
¿Los instructores tienen verificación de antecedentes?
- Sí. Todos los instructores deben completar la verificación de antecedentes de DPS/OCS.
¿Hay salvavidas en la piscina?
- Sí. Hay salvavidas de guardia supervisando la piscina en todo momento.
¿Cómo puedo saber que mi hijo(a) estará seguro(a) en el agua?
- Siempre habrá un instructor con su hijo(a). Los grupos nunca superan una proporción de 6 estudiantes por instructor, y a menudo son más pequeños.
¿Qué pasa si mi hijo(a) necesita traje de baño?
- Proporcionamos trajes de baño para cualquier niño que lo necesite. Solo indique la talla en el formulario de permiso.
¿Debe el traje de baño ir a casa entre clases?
- Recomendamos dejar el traje de baño en la escuela. Se seca rápidamente y se mantiene limpio debido al cloro. Cuando los trajes de baño van a casa, los estudiantes a menudo olvidan traerlos de vuelta y pueden perderse las clases.
¿Debe mi hijo(a) llevar gafas de natación o gorro de baño?
- No. Desaconsejamos el uso de gafas y gorros. Los estudiantes están aprendiendo habilidades de seguridad en el agua y queremos que la experiencia refleje condiciones reales.
Partnerships
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