Annual Project

The group’s first commitment is to lend some financial support to help underwrite the Parks and Recreation Learn-to-Swim program and offer financial assistance on lesson fees for children of qualifying families. The Parks Department will be taking over management and has restructured this important life skill and life-saving educational program.

For more than 70 years, the American Red Cross has been handling the Learn-To-Swim swimming lessons offered at Des Moines’ aquatic centers and pools. This year, Des Moines Parks and Recreation will be managing and conducting the instruction and, in a departure from past policies of the Learn-To-Swim program, will be using only American Red Cross Water Safety Instruction certified instructors to teach the lessons. That’s a policy you don’t find in some of the programs in central Iowa, in which water safety aids are used to teach classes and certified instructors are used only to supervise and monitor the skills testing. Thanks to the Friends of Des Moines Parks foundation, funding will be available for the equipment and instructors necessary to make this change.

Through management and staffing of the Learn-To-Swim program, Des Moines Parks can control the quality of the service and make certain this vital program offers the best possible instruction. Curriculum used for classes will continue to be that developed by the Red Cross.

Des Moines is committed to providing the highest quality swimming programs and facilities to our children at affordable rates. The new Learn-to-Swim program helps accomplish this mission. Last year, Des Moines’ aquatic centers, pools and wading pools served over 225,000 patrons and more than 1,450 children took part in learning these valuable recreation and life saving skills.