At its March meeting, the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation approved the Third-Grade Swim Project. The project is managed by the Department of Parks, Recreation & Open Space at the Carson Aquatic Center, and will benefit families of third-grade students in Carson City by providing free swim lessons.

The goal of the swim project, however, runs much deeper than the provision of free lessons. It is to provide all third-grade students a rudimentary understanding of water safety and swimming ability. The importance of this program cannot be overstated: According to Recreation Program Manager Mike Freeman, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages four to fourteen, and the leading cause of death for those under four years old. It is his hope to reduce that statistic by taking the swim program to full scale in 2027.

The swim program started in 2025, funded by an initiative under Health and Human Services to promote youth recreation. Because that funding is set to expire on June 30, the FCCPR will use donations for costs for qualified swim instructors to teach the program in the coming years.

To donate to the Third Grade Swim Program Click here.

For more information contact the Foundation at info@carsoncityparks.org.