8th World’s Largest Swimming Lesson set for Thursday, June 22, 2017

By | February 17, 2017

OVERLAND PARK, Kan – The 2017 World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (WLSL) will take place on Thursday, June 22nd. This will be the eighth year for the global event and Team WLSL will be setting its sights on a new goal – reaching more than one billion with the message Swimming Lessons Save Lives by 2019. Local WLSL events take place at hundreds of locations in more than 20 different countries on five continents over the course of 24 hours. The purpose of the event? Provide kids and parents exposure to life-saving water safety skills and build awareness about the vital importance of teaching children to swim to prevent drowning.

The World Waterpark Association founded the WLSL event in 2010, and works with dozens of life-saving and drowning prevention organizations to support Team WLSL and their mission to spread the message Swimming Lessons Save Lives because:

• The problem is real: Per the CDC, drowning remains the leading cause of unintended, injury related death for U.S. children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause for children under 14; drowning is an even greater threat in other countries around the world

• Many lack basic swimming skills: In 2014, a survey completed by the American Red Cross found that more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills

• Parental supervision is key: According to Safe Kids Worldwide 2016 report, despite the fact that lack of supervision played a role in the majority of drowning deaths. less than half of parents (49 percent) indicate they remain within arms’ reach of their child in the water

We encourage aquatic facilities and trainers to help parents connect the dots between learning to swim and staying safer in and around the water. Join Team WLSL for this global, life-saving event by registering as an official 2017 WLSL Host Location.