HAMPTON COUNTY YMCA SWIM PROGRAM
Building Water Safety Skills for Hampton County Children
At the YMCA of the Lowcountry, we believe every child should have the opportunity to learn how to be safe around water. Through our Hampton County Safety Around Water program, we provide free swim and water safety instruction to second-grade students throughout Hampton County, South Carolina.
Launched in 2024, the program helps children develop essential swimming skills, build confidence in and around the water, and learn what to do in a water emergency, all at no cost to participating families.
Teaching Skills That Can Help Save Lives
Learning to swim is about more than recreation. Water safety is an essential life skill, especially in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where pools, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water are part of everyday life.
Our Hampton County swim program introduces students to practical skills designed to help them become safer and more confident around water. Instruction includes:
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Submerging and becoming comfortable in the water
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Swim-Float-Swim techniques
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Jump-Push-Turn-Grab
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“Reach or Throw, Don’t Go” water rescue principles
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How and when to call 911
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Boating and life jacket safety
Through age-appropriate, hands-on instruction, YMCA swim instructors help students develop swimming ability while reinforcing smart decisions and safe behaviors around water.
Reaching Students Across Hampton County
During the 2025–2026 school year, 129 second-grade students from five Hampton County elementary schools participated in the program:
Fennell Elementary School: 15 students
Varnville Elementary School: 58 students
Ben Hazel Primary School: 22 students
Brunson Elementary School: 12 students
Estill Elementary School: 22 students
Every participating student received the program through scholarship-funded instruction, helping remove financial barriers to potentially lifesaving water safety education.
More Than Swim Lessons
The goal of the Hampton County Safety Around Water program isn't simply to teach children how to swim. It's to give them knowledge, skills and confidence they can carry with them for life.
By bringing water safety education to local second graders, the YMCA of the Lowcountry is expanding access to aquatics programming in Hampton County and working to ensure more children have an opportunity to learn how to stay safe around water.
Growing Our Impact in Hampton County
The YMCA of the Lowcountry proudly serves Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties, and our Safety Around Water program represents an important part of our growing presence in Hampton County.
As we look toward the future, we plan to continue expanding YMCA programs and opportunities for Hampton County residents, building on our commitment to strengthening communities and helping children and families learn, grow and thrive.
Help Us Expand Water Safety Education
Community support makes programs like Safety Around Water possible. By supporting the YMCA of the Lowcountry, you can help us provide more children with access to swim instruction and essential water safety education. For more information contact Mike Bostwick at m.bostwick@ymcaofthelowcountry.org.
Together, we can help build a safer, stronger Hampton County—one swimmer at a time.
