In the heat of a desert summer nothing beats jumping into the swimming pool. In June and July the Mammoth-San Manuel Unified School District provides free swim lessons to all children in the area, helping them become safe around water. Using two local pools, one in Mammoth and the other in San Manuel, four Red Cross certified instructors provide three or four two-week long sessions of instruction. Each day during a session 40 to 60 children between one and 14 years of age participate in the classes. Summer school students can come for afternoon swimming lessons and also enjoy two days of free swim time a week. Older students can also receive lifeguard training.
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach’s grant helps to cover the $40 to $50 needed to provide each child’s swim lessons. Youngsters from Mammoth, San Manuel, Oracle, Dudleyville, Reddington and Aravaipa participate in 160 lessons each year. Through the program they gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment from learning to be safer near the water and improve their social skills. Some children eventually join local swim teams to further develop their skills and swim competitively.