The 14th Annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ (#WLSL2023) Takes Place Thursday, June 22nd in 41 States and 18 Countries Around the Globe

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Jun 20, 2023, 08:49 ET

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

Who: Tens of thousands of kids, parents, volunteers and aquatics professionals will participate in the 14^th Annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson to help raise awareness about the crucial importance of water safety and the single leading cause of death for kids ages 1-4 – drowning.

A swimming instructor working with enthusiastic kickers during the World's Largest Swimming Lesson

Young swimmers at the Dwight H Hunter Northeast Pool getting excited to participate in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson

What: The World's Largest Swimming Lesson will take place June 22nd, where more than 40,000 children at 600+ aquatic centers, swim schools, waterparks and swimming pools in 18 countries will participate in swimming lessons. The annual event, coordinated by the World Waterpark Association, brings together leading water safety and training organizations with all types of aquatic facilities to kick off the official start of summer by teaching kids vital water safety skills to raise awareness about childhood drowning and send one focused message – Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.

Where: The World's Largest Swimming Lesson is conducted at all kinds of aquatic facilities. Click here to find a searchable list of WLSL Host Locations. This year's Host Locations include the USMC base in Okinawa, Japan; Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark, the Valley of the Sun YMCA in Phoenix and more than 100 Goldfish Swim Schools.

When: Lessons take place throughout the day over the course of 24 hours on Thursday, June 22^nd to kick off the official start of the summer. Lesson times for each facility are listed for each Host Location at WLSL.org.

Why:

The World's Largest Swimming Lesson was created to send the message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.
Research released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021 shows drowning has become the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4. And, drowning remains the second leading cause of unintended injury related death for kids 4-14 and the third for adolescents ages 15-17. Per the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths worldwide.
Research from the AAP/National Library of Medicine also shows that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning for kids ages 1-4 by 88%. TEAM WLSL urges parents and caregivers to take the time to find and enroll their kids in formal swim lessons and to back that training up with constant adult supervision whenever kids are in or near the water.
According to the CDC, June and July are among the deadliest months for drowning deaths in the U.S., especially among children.
Timing is critical -- the summer swim season is underway, with June 21^st being the official first day of summer.

About The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™

The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ is celebrating its 14^th year of raising awareness about the critical importance of teaching kids and parents to Be Water Aware™ to prevent drowning. The WLSL event, first launched in 2010, serves as a platform to use one voice to send the clear and unified message, Swimming Lessons Save Lives™. Since the program's inception, WLSL host locations have provided more than 160,000 hours of water safety training to 354,000+ children and adults, generating more than 2.5 billion media impressions about the vital importance of learning to swim. Learn more about this phenomenal program by visiting www.WLSL.org.

Contact: Beth Root
Email: [email protected]
913-544-5734

SOURCE World's Largest Swimming Lesson