NSEA Swim

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mar 31, 2023

NSEA Swim Receives 2023 Grant Funding From USA Swimming Foundation  

Grant supports efforts to offer free or reduced-cost swim lessons

[Wilmington, NC] – NSEA Swim was chosen as one of 69 youth programs from the USA Swimming Foundation’s nationwide network of swim lesson providers to receive grant money in early 2023. The grant award will go toward NSEA Swim’s continued efforts to provide free or reduced-cost swim lessons. The USA Swimming Foundation has awarded a total of $647,522 to programs across the country.

“We are so honored to be chosen for this award,”  Director of Aquatics, Mia Croom said. “The money we received will be put toward our goal of increasing access to our advanced Learn to Swim levels and offering more programs for teens.”   

Partnered with the City of Wilmington and the American Red Cross Centennial Program, NSEA Swim seeks to reduce drowning rates and provide healthy opportunities for our surrounding community through free swim lessons, water safety education opportunities, and affordable access to the Earl Jackson swimming pool in the Northside neighborhood.  In the summer of 2020, NSEA Swim began offering no-cost swim lessons via volunteers from their competitive swim team; in 2021 they hired 2 dedicated lesson instructors for year-round programming.  Swimmers enter the program each quarter and complete 8-12 lessons prior to taking a skills test to advance to the next level.  

The USA Swimming Foundation vetted more than 345 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 69 youth and 35 adult programs to receive funding. 

“The USA Swimming Foundation is thrilled to provide funding to 104 swim lesson providers across 29 states,” USA Swimming Foundation Senior Director of Development Elaine Calip said. “Over 14,000 individuals will now have the opportunity to learn the lifesaving skill of water safety across the country. We owe a tremendous thank you to our partners and donors who continue to make a difference in our mission of saving lives and building champions.”

Millions of individuals have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation’s network of swim lesson providers, comprised of more than 1,500 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.usaswimming.org/foundation. 

Click here for a full list of 2023 USA Swimming Foundation grant recipients. Click here to donate to the Foundation.