YMCA Encourages Families to Prioritize Water Safety This Summer

As families across southeastern North Carolina prepare for a summer spent at pools, beaches, lakes, and waterways, the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina is reminding the community that water safety starts with swim lessons. 

While May is recognized nationally as Water Safety Month, the YMCA is continuing its focus on drowning prevention and water confidence throughout the summer by expanding swim lesson opportunities and partnering with local organizations to provide free and accessible water safety education to children and families across the region. 

This summer, the YMCA will expand its traditional swim lesson offerings beyond its Nir Family and Sampson County YMCAs to include youth swim lessons at the City of Wilmington’s outdoor pools and at YMCA Camp Kirkwood. These programs are designed to help children build confidence in the water, develop foundational swimming skills, and learn life-saving water safety habits. 

“Living in a coastal community, water safety is not optional — it’s essential,” said Sarah Gibbs, Vice President of Development for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina. “Every child deserves the opportunity to learn how to swim and feel safe around water. Through partnerships, scholarships, and free community programs, we are working to ensure that access to swim lessons is available to every family, regardless of financial circumstances.” 

In addition to traditional swim lessons, the YMCA continues to collaborate with community partners to provide free swim and water safety programs throughout the summer months. Several free community swim lessons and water safety events are planned this summer in partnership with local organizations and supporters. These events are designed to introduce children and families to basic swim skills, safe behaviors around water, and resources for continued swim education. Upcoming community swim events include: 

YMCA’s Safety Around Water
Saturday, July 25th 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm
Robert Strange Pool (410 S. 10th St. Wilmington, NC 28401)
Ages 3-14 Pre-Registration Required - www.ymcasenc.org/watersafety 

The YMCA also recently celebrated the successful completion of another year of its Schools in Pools initiative, a collaborative partnership between area schools, local nonprofits and other aquatic-serving organizations. During the 2025–2026 school year, the initiative provided free swim instruction and water safety education to more than 1,706 second-grade students in New Hanover and Sampson County schools. 

According to the YMCA of the USA, drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death for children, and research shows that formal swim lessons can significantly reduce the risk of drowning. 

The YMCA encourages all families to review and practice these important summer water safety tips: 

• Never swim alone and always swim in designated swimming areas.
• Always supervise children around water — even when lifeguards are present.
• Enroll children in formal swim lessons to build confidence and safety skills.
• Wear properly fitted life jackets during boating and water recreation activities.
• Teach children to ask permission before entering the water.
  
• Learn CPR and basic emergency response skills.

Families interested in registering for swim lessons, learning more about YMCA aquatics programs, or supporting water safety initiatives can visit www.ymcasenc.org/swim.