Safety Around Water is an introductory program that teaches non-swimmers basic swim skills and water safety, including how to recognize dangerous situations when in and around water environments. Classes are available for children ages 6 & up (as well as non-swimming adults) and are taught in age-appropriate groups to ensure optimal skill and safety outcomes. 

Since 2015, our Safety Around Water program has taught more than 3,500 participants vital, life-saving skills.

Summer 2023 Program Information

The Y’s partnership with the Milwaukee County Parks has brought drowning prevention education into the communities that need it most. Click below to view our program locations and sign-up online.

A session of Safety Around Water classes is $5 per participant. Scholarships are available.

Help Keep Your Kids Safe

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has warned that drowning is one of the top three causes of unintentional injury death for people 29 and younger, and for African-American children aged 5-19, the drowning rate is five times that of white children. Nationally, 70% of African-American children, 58% of Hispanic children, and 40% of white children have little or no swimming ability and are at risk of water-related injury or death. The Y offers Safety Around Water in an effort to help reverse these preventable and troubling trends.