Making a splash: Grant funding expands swim instruction and aquatic certifications
Campus Recreation provides free lessons and certifications for students through NY SWIMS initiative
Learning to swim is a life-saving skill — and it’s never too late to start. Thanks to a $66,000 grant from the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative, Binghamton University is making that skill more accessible by offering free lessons and professional certifications to students through the aquatics program at Campus Recreation.
“By removing the financial barriers to learning to swim or getting certified, we’re giving students skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives,” said Jane Kallmerten, Binghamton’s aquatics coordinator. “It also prepares them to give back to their communities as instructors and lifeguards. We’re grateful to offer this program to our students.”
The program has impacted students like Maria Valéria de Carvalho André, a master’s candidate in industrial and systems engineering, who always wanted to learn to swim so she could feel safer in the water. After starting lessons last fall, André saw a real shift in her abilities.
“The instructors were always very kind and helpful,” she said. “I learned how to kick more effectively and swim longer distances. I can even float in two different ways now.” While she’s still working on her coordination, the progress has given her peace of mind: “I feel safer now in the water.”
Komariah, a graduate student in the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program, thought it was too late to learn after avoiding the water for years. Growing up in Indonesia, she was the only one in her family who didn’t swim, mainly because the local rivers were home to wild living creatures that made her too scared to try. Even at Binghamton, she was initially nervous about the pool’s depth, but the staff helped her face those fears.
“At first I was so nervous, but the staff encouraged me and helped me feel comfortable,” Komariah said. Since joining the class, she has already practiced several foundational skills like bubbling and kicking. “I still need more practice, but I hope to learn more before I graduate this year. I really appreciate this opportunity.”
The need for these lessons is clear: CDC data shows that nearly 40 million adults in the U.S. do not know how to swim, and over half have never taken a formal lesson. At the same time, New York state is facing a critical lifeguard shortage. By offering free instruction and support for certifications like lifeguarding and Water Safety Instruction (WSI), Binghamton’s Department of Campus Recreation is helping students stay safe while preparing them to fill vital roles in the community.
With the semester winding down, there is still time for students to dive in. Lessons are held Tuesday evenings, and registration is available through B-Engaged. Beyond this specific grant, the University’s aquatics program offers year-round indoor opportunities, including American Red Cross certification courses and open swim times for anyone with a valid student ID. To check the full schedule and pool hours, visit play.binghamton.edu.