Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Learn to swim at your own pace in classes taught by certified, knowledgeable instructors in a safe environment. Developed by the American Red Cross, Learn-to-Swim classes will help adults and children at every skill level improve and gain confidence.
Group lessons are held in the outdoor pool. Patrons are notified if lessons are moved to the HPE indoor pool due to inclement weather.
Class rates per session
| Class Level | Campus Rec Members | Non-Members |
|---|---|---|
| Parent & Child | $35 | $50 |
| Preschool | $65 | $80 |
| Levels 1 to 4 | $65 | $80 |
2025 registration opens April 1
- Kickoff session: begins May 5
- register by April 30
- Note: Parent and Child classes are not offered during kickoff session
- Session 1: begins June 2
- register by May 28
- Session 2: begins June 16
- register by June 11
- Session 3: begins July 7
- register by July 2
- Session 4: begins July 21
- register by July 16
Group class descriptions
Explore the description of each class level below to determine which level is right for your child. Adjustments may be made on the first day of lessons to accommodate skill level and class size.
Parent and Child: 6 months to 3 years old
Parents or guardians of children 6 months to 3 years of age will actively participate in their child's swim lessons. You must be in the pool with the child during the lesson. This not only helps increase the child's comfort level in the water, but can help parents understand the process and practice skills with their children between classes.
- Age: 6 months to 3 years
- Class covers:
- Familiarizing children with the water
- Introducing swimming readiness skills
- Games, songs and activities are integrated to keep children engaged and comfortable.
- Parents are provided with safety information and teaching techniques they can use to help their children get accustomed to the water.
- Criteria to advance: Age, along with child being able to move freely through water without parents
Preschool: 4 to 5 years old
- Age: 4 to 5 years
- Skills taught:
- Blowing bubbles
- Opening eyes underwater and fully submerging
- Floating on back and front for three seconds
- Making alternating and simultaneous leg and arm movements on front and back
- Criteria to advance: Moving independently through the water (submerging head and being comfortable making front movements and being on back)
Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills 5/6+ years old
Children who have had little to no experience in water are encouraged to start on this level.
- Age: 5/6+ years
- Skills taught:
- Floating on back
- Kicking and making arm movements on front and back
- Submerging body
- All skills will be done mostly independently but with some help from instructors.
- Criteria to advance: Performing skills independently and being able to submerge whole body comfortably
Level 2: Fundamentals of Aquatic Skills 6+ years old
- Age: 6+ years
- Skills taught:
- Rotary breathing (side-to-side breaths)
- Different types of floats
- Improving alternating kicks and arm movements
- Combined kicks and arm movements while floating on back or stomach
- Criteria to advance: Swimming independently using combined arm and leg actions on front for five body lengths and float for 15 seconds
Level 3: Stroke Development 7/8+ years old
- Age: 7/8+ years
- Skills taught:
- Improving treading and stroke development for freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke
- Dolphin and scissor kicks
- Criteria to advance: Swimming front crawl for 15 yards and changing direction as necessary and swimming 15 yards of elementary backstroke
Level 4: Stroke Improvement 8+ years old
- Age: 8+ years
- Skills taught:
- Improving proficiency in performing the swimming strokes introduced in Level 3 and all the stroke techniques learned throughout Learn-to-Swim program
- Butterfly stroke
- Criteria to advance: Performing a feet-first entry into deep water, swimming front crawl for 25 yards, changing direction and swimming elementary backstroke for 25 yards
Session One begins June 2
Register by May 28
| Class | Days | Last class day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent & Child | MTWR | June 5 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Preschool | MTWR | June 12 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 1 | MTWR | June 12 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 2 | MTWR | June 12 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
| Level 3 | MTWR | June 12 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
| Level 4 | MTWR | June 12 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
Session Two begins June 16
Register by June 11
| Class | Days | Last class day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent & Child | MTWR | June 19 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Preschool | MTWR | June 26 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 1 | MTWR | June 26 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 2 | MTWR | June 26 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
| Level 3 | MTWR | June 26 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
| Level 4 | MTWR | June 26 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
Session Three begins July 7
Register by July 2
| Class | Days | Last class day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent & Child | MTWR | July 10 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Preschool | MTWR | July 17 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 1 | MTWR | July 17 | 8-8:30 a.m. | 5:30-6 p.m. |
| Level 2 | MTWR | July 17 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m.. |
| Level 3 | MTWR | July 17 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |
| Level 4 | MTWR | July 17 | 8:45-9:15 a.m. | 6:15-6:45 p.m. |