As America’s most trusted swim lesson instructor, the YMCA has been teaching kids how to swim for more than 100 years. Swim lessons at the YMCA help kids stay fit, healthy, and strong when they spend time in and around water. But, most importantly, they gain confidence and learn vital water safety skills that will last a lifetime.
Aquatics programs at the Y include Safety Around Water (SAW), which allows the Y to partner with several local community agencies and schools to ensure that children in the Joliet area have the opportunity to learn to swim and enjoy recreation time at the Y at no cost.
During the 2024-25 school year, Safety Around Water provided a series of free 30-minute lessons for fourth grade students from Troy School District 30C and elementary and middle school students from Fairmont School District 89.
At the beginning of each swim lesson session, students complete swim tests to determine their swimming ability and receive a red, yellow, or blue wristband, indicating their YMCA swim level:
- Red level swimmers are required to use a lifejacket when visiting YMCA pools
- Yellow level swimmers may swim without life jackets, but may not go past the 5-foot depth markers in Y pools
- Blue level swimmers demonstrate enough strength, skill, and confidence to enter at the deep end, tread water, and swim the length of the pool using a front crawl stroke without stopping
In total, 228 children received Safety Around Water instruction during the 2024-2025 school year and the Y provided more than 1,040 lessons overall. Here are the amazing results:
| Start of Lessons | End of Lessons | |
|---|---|---|
| Red Swimmers | 58.77% | 39.48% |
| Yellow Swimmers | 22.37% | 26.75% |
| Blue Swimmers | 18.86% | 33.77% |
At the start of lessons, more than half of Safety Around Water participants required the use of a life jacket when entering the pool as red level swimmers. We were so proud to see that figure reduced by nearly 20 percent – a total of 44 children. Another 34 students improved to become blue level swimmers.
“The Safety Around Water program takes a village to run and it couldn’t have been done without the amazing staff of swim instructors we have at the Y, as well as the volunteer instructors from the Rotary Club of Joliet who assisted along the way,” Galowich Family YMCA Aquatics Director Catie Wallis said. “Learning these swim skills will have an incredible impact on the lives of students throughout our community.”
Safety Around Water activities will continue throughout the summer as the Y welcomes children from the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet, Harvey Brooks Foundation, iLead, Laraway CCSD 70C, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will/Grundy County, and YMCA Salvation Army Summer Camp!
*Safety Around Water is made possible through the generosity of local businesses and grantors, including the United Way of Will County. If you would like to help support Safety Around Water by donating to the YMCA Mission Strong Fund, you can do so below.
And, if you are interested in becoming a volunteer swim instructor, click here.
The Y’s JETS Swim Team offers a range of practice groups, from beginner to advanced, based on age, skill, speed and commitment. To be placed on the beginning level of the team, swimmers must be able to swim freestyle for one length of the pool (25 yards) without stopping while demonstrating the ability to comfortably swim at the surface with arms reaching forward over the water, their face in the water, and taking breaths to the side. They must also swim 25 yards of backstroke without stopping, showing they are comfortable floating on their back while maintaining a rhythmic, supportive kick.
At the Y, we exist to strengthen community. With a mission centered on balance, the Y brings families closer together, encourages good health and fosters connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. As a result, millions of people, just like you, are receiving the support they need to engage in healthy and active lifestyles.
The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is excited to offer new redeemable perks for members enrolled in the My Y Rewards Program!