The Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) Safely Educating Aquatic Learners (SEAL) Program was chosen as one of 124 youth programs from the USA Swimming Foundation’s nationwide network of swim lesson providers to receive grant money in 2024. The grant award will go toward the HCISD SEAL Program’s continued efforts to provide free swim lessons. This year, the USA Swimming Foundation has awarded a total of $780,000 in its initial round of funding to programs across the country.
"We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant, as it reinforces our commitment to equipping every second-grade student with vital swimming skills," said Yvonne Moran, Coordinator for Aquatics. "With this support, we can alleviate transportation costs, ensuring that all students have access to our SEAL program at the Aquatic Center. It's a wonderful opportunity to enhance their safety and confidence in the water."
The SEAL Program offers essential swim lessons and water safety education to HCISD second-grade students across 17 elementary schools, as well as to our eighth to twelfth-grade Special Education Lifeskills students. Initiated ten years ago, the SEAL program is designed to reduce the risk of childhood drowning, particularly among students who do not have access to private swimming lessons. Throughout the school year, students are transported from their school campuses to the Aquatic Center, where they receive instruction at no cost by certified aquatic professionals and American Red Cross First Aid Certified Lifeguards. Approximately 1,100 students receive swimming lessons each year.
The USA Swimming Foundation vetted more than 400 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 124 youth and 38 adult programs to receive funding.
“The USA Swimming Foundation is proud to continue providing Learn-to-Swim opportunities at the local level for both adults and youth,” said USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Elaine Calip. “With the excitement surrounding U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming and the Olympic Games, we anticipate an increased interest in our sport. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with lesson providers nationwide to keep kids and adults safe in and around the water.”
Millions of individuals have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation’s network of swim lesson providers, comprised of more than 1,500 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.usaswimming.org/foundation.
Click here for a full list of 2024 USA Swimming Foundation grant recipients. Click here to donate to the Foundation.
For more information on the HCISD SEAL Program, click here.