PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Drowning remains one of the leading causes of preventable death for children of all ages. The 17th annual World’s Largest Swim Lesson, June 25, 2026, is mobilizing communities across the globe to teach critical water safety, swimming skills, increase water competency and help make aquatic activities safer for everyone.
The annual one-day event is designed to raise awareness about the risks involved with water and the importance of teaching children of all ages to swim. Since its inception in 2010, the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson has had more than 448,000 participants in 56 countries.
“With increasing temperatures, water activities and summer travel, more drowning accidents take place in June than any other month of the year,” said Lisa Zarda, Executive Director at the U.S. Swim School Association. “Research shows that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88%, making events like the World’s Largest Swim Lesson a crucial public safety initiative.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 14. More than 4,500 unintentional drowning deaths occur in the United States each year, averaging approximately 11 deaths every day.
In conjunction with the World’s Largest Swim Lesson, aquatic facilities, swim schools, water parks and community organizations around the world will unite to demonstrate the importance of teaching children and adults essential water competency skills. The event was created to help combat the global drowning epidemic and promote swimming as a lifesaving skill rather than simply a recreational activity.
“Learning to swim is one of the most important lifesaving skills a child can master,” said Zarda. “Formal swim lessons provide children with confidence in and around water, overall water competency and critical survival skills that can make the difference between life and death.”
While swim lessons are a powerful prevention tool, Zarda stresses that parents and caregivers should also focus on multiple layers of protection to further reduce drowning incidents, including:
• Maintaining constant, attentive adult supervision whenever children are near water.
• Avoiding distractions such as mobile phones, reading and alcohol consumption while supervising children around water.
• Designating an official “Water Watcher” whose sole responsibility is to monitor swimmers without distractions.
• Installing a four-sided fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates around home pools.
• Learning CPR and emergency response procedures.
• Investing in brightly colored swimsuits like neon pink, yellow and orange, and avoiding colors likely to blend into the water, like blue and white.
• Removing toys from pools when not in use to prevent children from entering the water unsupervised.
• Ensuring children wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets when boating or participating in open-water activities.
The U.S. Swim School Association’s network of trusted swimming schools can help children of all ages develop confidence and competence in the water, ensuring they have a fun and safe swimming experience all year long. For a comprehensive list of schools that offer swim lessons in your area, visit the U.S. Swim School Association’s website at https://usswimschools.org/find-a-school.
For morning information about the World’s Largest Swim Lesson, visit https://www.wlsl.org/
Amy Wolff
U.S. Swim School Association
+1 (623) 910-1690
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