Burlington fourth graders start mandatory swim safety training

Burlington families with children in fourth grade are sending them to the Greater Burlington YMCA this week for a new water safety initiative. The program is required for all 232 fourth-grade students in the Burlington School District. It runs twice a week for three consecutive weeks.

The curriculum moves through beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students learn to float and swim again after submerging. They also practice self-rescue skills, including jumping, pushing, turning, and grabbing. A final lesson focuses on how to keep others safe without putting a rescuer in danger.

The YMCA calls the program the Safety Around Water Program. It was launched this fall. The district’s six elementary schools will rotate their students to the YMCA facility for the sessions. The goal is to reduce the risk of drowning among local youth.

The training includes a specific mnemonic for bystanders. It is called Reach, Throw, Don’t Go. The phrase helps students remember to use a tool or an object to pull someone to safety rather than entering the water themselves. Students are also taught to swim only when an adult, designated as a Water Watcher, is present and paying attention.

BSD Superintendent Tom Flanagan said the partnership connects real-world learning to student safety. “I’m really grateful for this partnership with Y and to everyone involved in getting this program started,” Flanagan said. He noted that the district aims to keep kids safe while offering practical skills.

Greater Burlington YMCA President and CEO Dan Smith emphasized the importance of the skill. “Learning to swim is a crucial life skill,” Smith said. He described the project as a way for the organization to serve the community by saving lives. The two organizations have worked together before, including when the YMCA provided gym space for physical education during the high school renovation.

The CDC reports major health disparities in drowning rates across the United States. Fewer than half of Americans say they know how to swim. The new program targets Burlington students specifically to address those statistics. WCAX visited the facility to document the launch of the classes.