“Swim to Survive is a Lifesaving Society survival training program. The Society defines the minimum skills needed by all Canadians to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. These are expressed in a skill sequence in the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard” as follows:
ROLL into deep water – TREAD water (1 min.) – SWIM 50 m
Swim to Survive is FREE for more than 80,000 seven- and eight-year-old children across Ontario, Canada, due to the following reasons:
- “Lifesaving Society believes swimming is a life skill that all children need to learn. It’s no different than fire safety or street-proofing.
- Lifesaving Society estimates about half of Canadian children never take traditional swimming lessons, even though swimming is the second most popular activity (after bicycling) in Canada among school-age children between 5 and 12 years of age. The Lifesaving Society wants to ensure every child has the basic skills to survive.
- Swim skills are not innate, they need to be taught and all children deserve the chance to learn.
- Lifesaving Society’s research shows that most drownings occur close to safety. “We believe that if every child in Canada could pass our Swim to Survive standard, it would reduce the number of drownings by half.”
- Ontario is investing $2 million to support the expansion of the Swim to Survive program.
- The program is especially valuable for new Canadians, as a Lifesaving Society study shows that new Canadians are four times more likely to be unable to swim than those born in Canada.
- Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age.
By using a school grant program, the Lifesaving Society aims to have every Grade 3 student in Ontario achieve the Swim to Survive Standard, which requires the following collaborative efforts:
- board of education and pool owner/operators coordinate the timing and logistics of getting the students from the school to the pool;
- pool facility arranges for the pool time and Swim to Survive instructors;
- school board arranges student transportation and communication with parents; and
- Lifesaving Society supplies instructor materials, teacher and parent materials and Swim to Survive certificates.
FREE Swim to Survive Summer Program
“Thanks to the generosity of CUPE 4400 and the RBC Royal Bank Foundation the Lifesaving Society is pleased to announce that parents and guardians of interested children are invited to register for FREE Swim to Survive lessons at 4 different locations in Toronto.”
Who is this FREE program for?
Children ages 7 – 14
Where?
Downsview SS – 7 Hawksdale Rd (Keele & Wilson)
Keele Public School – 99 Mountainview Ave (Keele & Bloor)
Harbord CI – 286 Harbord St (Christie & Harbord)
R.H. King Academy – 3800 St. Clair Ave E (Kingston Rd. & St. Clair)
What will they learn?
“Children will be taught the Swim to Survive program which teaches 3 basic skills in 5 – 30 minute lessons. Skills include:
- Roll entry,
- tread water (1 minute),
- Swim 50m (with or without a lifejacket).
Swim to Survive standard is the minimum skills required to survive an unexpected fall into deep water.”
When is the program offered?
Lessons will be offered in one week sessions (Monday – Friday) from:
July 4th – July 29th, 2011,
9:00am – 1:15pm
(the last lesson each day will be either an all girls / all boys lesson, pending demand)
**Please Note: For all girls only / boys only swim times, the organizer cannot guarantee same gender aquatic staff.
How do I register my child?
Please click here to register by completing the Registration form and email it to nancy.campbell@cupe4400.org, or during regular program hours at each location above.
Questions?
Contact nancy.campbell@cupe4400.org
Contact Info:
Lifesaving Society
400 Consumers Road (map)
Toronto, Ontario, M2J 1P8
Office Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Monday-Friday)
Tel: 416-490-8844
Fax: 416-490-8766
Also, please click here to find out more about the Swim to Survive Program.
Ontario, Canada: Newsroom
News Release
Protecting Our Children Through Water Safety
June 2, 2011
McGuinty Government Expands Innovative Swim to Survive Program
Ontario is providing funding to help more than 80,000 seven- and eight-year-old children across the province receive free basic water safety and survival skills training.
The province is supporting the expansion of the Lifesaving Society’s successful Swim to Survive program. This free program teaches children how to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. It also teaches children how to roll into deep water, tread water for one minute and swim 50 metres.
The expansion of this program will help protect more of our children by giving them the critical skills they need to survive a life-threatening situation.
QUOTES
“Helping children learn essential water survival skills ensures that children know how to stay safe while leading healthy and active lives. Learning about water safety is an important life skill for children.”
– Leona Dombrowksy
Minister of Education
“Most Ontarians who participate in aquatic activities never take swimming lessons or lifesaving training. The Lifesaving Society wants to ensure that children who participate in our Swim to Survive Program will have the essential skills they need to survive an unexpected fall into deep water.”
– Barbara Byers
Public Education Director, the Lifesaving Society
QUICK FACTS
- The province is investing $2 million to support the expansion of the Swim to Survive program.
- The Lifesaving Society estimates about half of Canadian children never take traditional swimming lessons, even though swimming is the second most popular activity (after bicycling) in Canada among school-age children between 5 and 12 years of age.
- The program is especially valuable for new Canadians, as a Lifesaving Society study shows that new Canadians are four times more likely to be unable to swim than those born in Canada.
- Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age.
LEARN MORE
CONTACT
- Mike Feenstra
Minister’s Office
416-325-9216
mike.feenstra@ontario.ca
Ministry of Education
ontario.ca/education