Metroparks Working with Partners to Offer FREE Swim Lessons

In partnership with multiple community organizations located within the five county area in southeast Michigan, your Metroparks are excited to bring swim lessons to you for FREE. Participants will learn basic water safety skills and get an introduction to swimming. No prior experience is needed, certified instructors will work with participants at their level with ease and understanding of their comfort in the water.

All registered participants will receive a swimsuit, swim caps, goggles, bag, and a towel.

Fall Swim Lessons – Registration Ongoing

We are working with several partners this fall to offer FREE swim lessons. Registration for partnered sites will be added as available.

Adult Swim Lessons – Whitmore Lake Public Schools

Whitmore Lake Public Schools is offering lessons for adults with small class sizes, patient instructors and proven curriculum. Water safety is important for everyone, and these lessons are geared towards all skill levels, INCLUDING water shy. Registration is open for session 2 with dates 11/3 – 12/15. Click here to register.

South Lake High School – in Partnership with AquaLyfe Swim School

Multiple sessions are offered, but please only register for one swim lesson session. Duplicate registrations will be contacted and canceled.

Session 1: Saturday – 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2 – 2pm
Session 2: Saturday – 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2 – 3pm
Session 3: Saturday – 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2 – 4pm
Session 4: Saturday – 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 – 2pm
Session 5: Saturday – 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 – 3pm
Session 6: Saturday – 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 – 4pm

South Lake High School Swim Lessons are FULL and CLOSED for registration.

Howell Highlander Aquatic Center

Registration opens October 1. You won’t see any lessons listed until that date: https://highlanderaquatics.gymmasteronline.com/portal/login
(click on “sign up” and complete the registration process)

City of Detroit – Swim in the D – Multiple Recreation Center Locations

Registration opens October 14. Come back for official link.

To stay in the know for future swim lessons and registration details please sign up for our email newsletter. Click here to complete the email sign up.

Lets Get Everyone in the Pool

Your Metroparks are committed to improving water safety so that all Michiganders can safely and confidently enjoy the pools, lakes and rivers our state has to offer. In 2021, the Metroparks worked with an external consultant to identify the barriers to swim instruction and the gaps in water safety. Thanks to responses from all across our communities, we learned that the cost of swim lessons were too high, particularly for people of color and for city of Detroit residents. The consequences are stark: studies show 70 percent of Detroit kids have little to no swim experience. So we began building partnerships and funding lessons to make them FREE for residents in communities across all five counties we serve.

In 2023 we announced and launched a 5-year plan to expand these efforts.

Learn more about those initial partnerships and their impacts in this short film.