Our Swim Buddy Program is a part of our Special Needs Swim Lesson program where volunteers work directly with lesson participants.

To be a “swim buddy” all you need is a desire to help children learn to swim,
be at least 11 years old, and have a bathing suit. 
 

Program Overview

WHAT IS A “SWIM BUDDY”?   Our Special Needs Swim Lessons are set up with 1 instructor, 3 students, and 3 swim buddies (one for each student) in each class. It is the Swim Buddy’s role to act as an extension of the instructor and help their buddy with what the instructor is teaching. The Swim Buddy is there to keep their buddy on task and working on the skill being taught as well as to be their buddy’s support system and encouraging friend.

REQUIREMENTS   To be a Swim Buddy you just need to meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 11 years old
• Be comfortable in the water
• Have a desire to volunteer with children
• Be able to commit to a full session (see below)

 
COMMITMENT   The students in Special Needs Swim Lessons often rely on a consistent routine. As such, our volunteers need to be committed to attending all classes with assigned buddies for a full swim session:

• One Session will consist of 10 classes.
• Classes will be 30 minutes long.
• Classes will be Mon/Wed/Fri
• Classes will be three times a week.
• Classes will be held at Temecula Elementary School.

Depending on the volunteer’s availability, they will most likely be assigned to multiple classes in a row.

TRAINING   All volunteers will be required to come to the Swim Buddy Training Course before volunteering with lessons. Training lasts approximately 2 hours. In this training, volunteers will learn more about their role in the swim lessons and what to expect with this experience.

2013 Session and Training Dates

Session Dates
Please click here to see the Special Needs Swim Lesson session dates.

Training Dates
In order to be a Swim Buddy you must come to a training date (listed below) before the first session that you volunteer for.  It is vital that we give you the proper information and skills you will need before you begin.

Sign-Up!

To sign-up to be a Swim Buddy, all you need to do is fill out the registration form (found below) and determine what sessions and times you can commit to volunteer.

        Swim Buddy Registration Form

Being a Swim Buddy is a very rewarding experience and we look forward to working with you!  Just remember that the children in these lessons depend on their Swim Buddy to be there everyday so please be mindful of that when signing up. 

QUESTIONS?
If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact us.