Parent and Child Swim Lessons  

Parent and Child lessons are 30-minute guided practice sessions that help kids learn elementary swimming skills, including water entry, bubble blowing, front kicking, back floating, underwater exploration and more. Students do not need a swim test to register for the course. Swimming diapers are required for participants not potty-trained. Swim lessons are available for individuals 6 months to 3 years of age. Only one parent is allowed in the water per child, but it is possible to rotate the parent throughout the session.

Pre- School Swim Lessons

Pre-school lessons are 30 minutes long and provide water safety, survival skills and essential swimming concepts in a safe and fun environment. Skills are age-appropriate for 3 to 6 years old. It is highly encouraged that participants who register are potty-trained. Students must register for the correct level prior to arriving on the first day of lessons. Open evaluations will be offered prior to the start of each 4-week session.  Swimmers will advance by passing various skills. Please be aware that sometimes it takes more than one set of lessons to master the skills required to move up to the next level.

Learn to Swim Program

The American Red Cross six-level Learn-to-Swim program is unlike anything offered by other learn to swim programs. Learn to Swim lessons are 45 minutes long and are designed for children age 6 year all the way up to adults. Students progress through the levels at their own pace, mastering the skills in one level before advancing to the next. Each level of our Learn-to-Swim class includes training in basic water safety and helping others in an emergency, in addition to stroke development.

• Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills
• Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills
• Level 3: Stroke Development
• Level 4: Stroke Improvement
• Level 5: Stroke Refinement
• Level 6: Fundamentals of Diving, Personal Water Safety, Fitness Swimmer

We will only offer Levels 1-4 of the Learn to Swim program. Those interested in Level 5 would benefit more from our Seahorses Swim Team. Participants must receive a certificate of completion or approval from the Aquatics Instruction Coordinator before moving on to the next level. Each participant will receive an American Red Cross Achievement Booklet. Bring your booklet to class and your instructor will complete the skills check off pages for you!

Please be aware that it can take more than one set of lessons to master the skills required to move up to the next level.

Adult Swim Lessons

Adult lessons are 45 minutes long and for swimmer ages 18 and older. Participants will increase comfort with underwater exploration and learn basic self-rescue skills. Additionally, participants will build stroke technique, develop skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional/cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity. Lessons are offered in a Beginner stage and an Advanced stage.

Beginner classes are for individuals who have little to no experience in or around water.

Advanced classes are for individuals who have experience in or around water and can swim the full length of the pool.

Swim Lessons App

The American Red Cross offers a free mobile app to help parents and caregivers of young people learning to swim. The app is designed as a companion to the Red Cross Learn-to-Swim lessons and preschool aquatics programs and provides water safety information to adults and children. It is ideal for adults or children who want easy and accessible information on water safety and drowning prevention.

The app can be found at redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps (click swim app) or downloaded directly from the Apple or Google Play app stores (search: swim American Red Cross).

Questions?

Call Chris Simmons – Aquatics Supervisor at 614.342.4267 or email chris.simmons@gahanna.gov

American Red Cross Blended Lifeguard Training Course
Time: Online 7 hours, In-person 20 hours

Provides entry-level participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, respond to aquatic emergencies. Participants will provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over. The Lifeguard Training Blended Learning Course allows you to read the material and watch the videos from the comfort of your home. The online training is approximately 7 hours. In-person training will be 20 hours. This training is for new lifeguard candidates or those with lapsed certifications, Certification issued for 2 years in CPR for the Professional Rescuer/First Aid/Lifeguarding.

LIFEGUARD TRAINING PRE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• Student minimum age is 15 years by the last day of class
• Swim 300 yards using freestyle or breaststroke. The candidate must demonstrate breath control and rhythmic breathing without stopping.
• Tread Water, legs only, for 2 minutes
• Timed brick test: Swim 20 yards, surface dive to a depth of 7-10 feet, and retrieve a 10-pound brick from the bottom. Surface and swim on your back with the object for 20 yards, exit the water without using a ladder or steps. The time limit is 1 minute and 40 seconds.

Please note: Course tuition fee is not refundable for not passing the swim pretest. Candidates should practice and train prior to the course.

Lifeguard Textbook Link – Please Download:

https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/training-services/no-index/LG_PM_digital.pdf

American Red Cross Lifeguard Review Course                                                                          Time: In-person 10 hours                                                                                                                         

For those whose certifications are soon to expire but still certified (30 day grace period allowed). The review course is usually conducted in one day. Lifeguards will be expected to complete the Lifeguard prerequisite swim test, practice rescue skills, work through team scenarios, successfully complete the written test and skills test at the end of the course. Note: You will need to bring your hip pack, resuscitation mask, and whistle. Certification issued for 2 years in CPR for the Professional Rescuer/First Aid/Lifeguarding.

American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Blended Learning Course           Time: Online 7 hours, In-person 25 hours

This Water Safety Instructor Course (WSI) in 3 days teaches people how to be safe in, on, and around water and to teach individuals of different ages and abilities how to swim. In a logical progression, the program covers the knowledge and skills needed for aquatic skill development. As participants develop these skills, they become safer and better swimmers. The instructor course is designed to train instructor candidates to teach Parent and Child Aquatics, Preschool Aquatics, Learn to Swim, Adult Swim, and water safety courses and presentations.

Prerequisites for the Water Safety Instructor Course (WSI)

• Must be at least 16 years old
• Candidates should be able to swim the 6 basic strokes based on a level 3 ability: freestyle, back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, and butterfly. Treading water and the ability to back float is required.
• Candidates will need to download or purchase the textbook materials
• Complete the online component prior to the first day of class

American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor Blended Learning Course                            Time: Online 3 hours, In-person 22 hours

The lifeguard instructor course is designed to prepare instructor candidates to use course presentation materials, conduct training sessions, and evaluate the progress of candidates in a professional-level course. Upon successfully becoming a Lifeguarding Instructor, one is eligible to teach many courses. These include Lifeguarding, Shallow Water Lifeguarding, Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding, Waterfront Skills, Waterpark Skills, First Aid, CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, Administering Emergency Oxygen and Bloodborne Pathogens. Lifeguarding Instructors with a current Red Cross basic-level certification in Administering Emergency Oxygen may also teach Administering Emergency Oxygen. To be eligible to teach Waterfront Skills, candidates must also possess a Waterfront Skills certificate.

Prerequisites for the Lifeguard Instructor Course (LGI)

• LGI Course students must be at least 17 years old
• Possess a current American Red Cross certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/ CPR/AED
• Obtain the Lifeguarding Instructor Manual (print version) and Lifeguarding Manual (digital or print) prior to entering the first classroom session of the instructor course
• Successfully complete the online introduction to the Lifeguarding Instructor course (about 2 hours online)
• Successfully complete the in-person pre-course swim session.
• LGI Course Candidates should be able to swim 300 yards using freestyle or breaststroke.   Treading water for 2 minutes only using their legs is the second test.  Third, a timed event – swim 20 yards to retrieve a 10-pound brick – returning it to the starting point by swimming on back using only the legs – climb out of the pool unassisted within 1 minute and 40 seconds. Hint: Practice these ahead of class. No refunds for students not meeting these standards once the in-person class begins.
• Candidates will be provided with an opportunity to review all basic level lifeguard skills in which they are expected to show competency.

The Department of Parks & Recreation is proud to offer a scholarship program, funded by the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation. Families that qualify for the free/reduced  school lunch program may receive scholarship funding.  Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Complete an application HERE. For more information, call Parks & Recreation at 614-342-4250