Boston Announces Grants Over $100,000 In Free Youth Swim Lessons, Kicks Off Summer Pool Season

The City of Boston's Office of Human Services and Boston Centers for Youth & Families announced 11 nonprofit organizations as recipients of the Swim Safe grants. Funded through $114,892 in individual awards ranging from $5,000 and $22,500, the grants will expand access to free beginner swim lessons and water safety programming for young people and families across Boston.

"Learning to swim is a critical life-saving skill and an important entry point into healthy, fun experiences at our beaches and pools throughout Boston and beyond," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I'm grateful to our community partners and BCYF for making it possible for more Boston families to access safe, welcoming aquatic programming this summer."

These grant awards, supported by the City of Boston's FY26 Annual Operating Budget, will fund aquatics providers and summer camp programs to offer free swim lessons to an estimated 700 youth this summer, improving water safety in Boston by addressing the public health threat posed by drowning. The grants will also expand access to beginner swim instruction beyond the thousands of free lessons already provided by Boston Centers for Youth & Families' staff at aquatics sites across the City.

Grantees include the following organizations:

• YMCA of Greater Boston (9 locations)
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (4 locations)
• Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester (Dorchester)
• Salvation Army Kroc Center (Dorchester)
• Bryce's Journey (Hyde Park)
• Hope Floats Foundation (Back Bay, South End)
• Boston Explorers (Chinatown)
• Boston's Higher Ground (Roxbury)
• Brooke Charter School (Mattapan)
• Horizons of Greater Boston (Mattapan)

"This grant will allow Boston's youth to continue accessing free swim programming across the city throughout the summer," said José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services. "Our Swim Safe grantees are advancing swim equity and expanding access so every young person has the opportunity to learn to swim safely this summer."

In addition to established Swim Safe partners that operate pools and provide youth swim lessons, including the YMCA of Greater Boston, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, and the West End House, this summer's cohort introduces several new grantees in different neighborhoods increasing the availability of accessible, community-based swim lessons to Boston's young people.

"At BCYF, we see firsthand how life-changing it is for a child to gain confidence in the water," said Marta E. Rivera, Commissioner of Boston Centers for Youth & Families. "By partnering with these incredible community organizations, we are meeting families where they are and ensuring that cost is never a barrier to learning a life-saving skill. These grants allow us to build on the work done at our BCYF pools, creating a citywide network of safety and summer fun for all our youth."

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"Access to pools, natural water, and so much more is an opportunity that must be available to all. Incumbent in that access is the confidence that young people and families will feel safe and be able to enjoy the water," said David Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater Boston. "The Y and our nine city locations are proud to continue to receive support from the City's Swim Safe initiative so that together we can remove barriers and provide the pools, lessons, and expertise needed to ensure all Bostonians have the access and skills in and around the water."

SUMMER POOL SCHEDULE

In addition to the expanded Swim Safe program, Mayor Wu, the Public Facilities Department, BCYF, and Boston Public Schools have prioritized investing in the city's pool infrastructure and streamlining processes to ensure our pools are well-maintained and staffed throughout every season.

The City of Boston is currently on target to meet its seasonal lifeguard hiring goals, a success driven by a strategic shift toward proactive recruitment. By offering year-round lifeguard training and certification programs, the City has successfully established a continuous pipeline of qualified candidates. This consistent instruction, paired with expanded recruitment efforts, ensures that the City's pools and BCYF Curley beach will be fully staffed, safe, and accessible for residents throughout the summer months.

The list of neighborhood pools that are planned to be open for Summer 2026 are as follows:

• BCYF Condon
• BCYF Charlestown
• BCYF Clougherty (seasonal outdoor pool – opens late June)
• BCYF Draper
• BCYF Flaherty
• BCYF Hennigan (in final stage of repairs, planned to open this summer)
• BPS Madison Park
• BCYF Mason
• BCYF Marshall
• BCYF Mattahunt (in final stage of repairs, planned to open this summer)
• BCYF Mildred
• BCYF Perkins
• BCYF Paris Street
• BCYF Quincy
• BPHC South End Fitness Center
• BPS Umana
• BCYF Curley Beach

A full list of the City's pools and their operating hours can be found here. Additionally, the full list of the City's splash pads and water features can be found here.

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Residents can connect directly with the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) for additional information by reaching out to neighborhoodservicescityofboston@boston.gov.

ABOUT THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET

The Human Services cabinet oversees six departments that provide direct services to Boston residents: Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Library, Age Strong Commission, Office of Youth Engagement & Advancement, Office of Returning Citizens and the Office of Veterans' Services. The mission of the Human Services cabinet is to provide equitable access to high quality services, resources, and opportunities so that every Boston resident - especially those with the greatest needs - has what they need to thrive. In pursuit of this mission, the departments in the Human Services Cabinet meet residents where they are - in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities - to break down barriers to critical resources.

ABOUT BOSTON CENTERS FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) is the City of Boston's largest youth and human service agency. BCYF operates 36 community centers in Boston that offer a variety of engaging and enriching programs for people of all ages created through community input and need. BCYF also oversees many citywide programs.

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