Department of Conservation and Recreation opens registration for free swimming lessons for kids
BOSTON - Registration will open Friday for the Department of Conservation and Recreation's (DCR) Learn to Swim program for children across Massachusetts.
Learn to Swim provides free swimming lessons for children at DCR pools. The program consists of 30-minute group swim lessons for three two-week sessions in July and August. The lessons are held in the morning before the pools open to the public. Registration is done on a first come, first serve basis and will close once classes are full.
"As a former lifeguard, I know that programs like Learn to Swim help save lives by providing basic swim skills to children at a young age," said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll in a statement. "The Learn to Swim program is a critical tool to ensuring that our state-run beaches and pools provide safe recreational opportunities for our families."
The schedule for the Learn to Swim program:
- Session 1: July 10 to July 21 (registration begins June 30)
- Session 2: July 24 to August 4 (registration begins July 10)
- Session 3: August 7 to August 28 (registration begins July 24)
The lessons are offered at the following pools:
- Gerald J. Mason Memorial Pool in Agawam
- Reilly Memorial Pool in Brighton
- Melnea A. Cass Memorial Pool in Boston
- McCrehan Memorial Pool in Cambridge
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pool in Chelsea
- Sara Jane Sherman Memorial Pool in Chicopee
- Philip J. Weihn Memorial Pool in Clinton
- Veterans Memorial Swimming Pool in Fall River
- Gustave Johnson Memorial Pool in Fitchburg
- Martin L. Olsen Memorial Pool in Hyde Park
- Lt. Colonel Edward J. Higgins Pool in Lawrence
- P. Eugene Casey Memorial Pool in Milford
- Latta Brothers Memorial Pool in Somerville
- John H. Thomas Memorial Swimming Pool in Springfield
- Connors Memorial Pool in Waltham
- Dealtry Memorial Pool in Watertown
- Dennis F. Shine Memorial Pool in Worcester (classes are offered an hour earlier at Vernon Hills Pool)
The Lowell Police Department, Sean A. Collier Memorial Foundation, Lowell Recreation Department and DCR also provide free swimming lessons at the Raymond Lord Memorial Pool for children from Lowell between the ages of 6 and 16. For more information on that program, email lpdyouthservices@lowellma.gov