Make a Splash for Safety – $95K Available for Free Water Safety Lessons for RI Youth

Photo, top: Youth learn to swim with Stages of Freedom program

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is again offering grants to communities and organizations that provide swimming or paddlecraft lessons to children and teens to reduce the risk of drowning. New this round, DEM will fund adaptive swim lessons and equipment for students with cognitive, developmental, or physical challenges to help them feel safe and confident in the water. The Water Safety Grant Program is supported by $95,000 in funding proposed by Governor Dan McKee in the FY 2026 budget and approved by the General Assembly in June 2025.

“I’m happy to report that since its launch, more than 1,000 families have benefited from this program,” said Governor Dan McKee. “I encourage communities and organizations to apply for this funding to help our state’s youth learn the skills needed to stay safe in the water.”

“Rhode Island has outstanding beaches and freshwater resources that are part of what makes our state special, but they also remind us how vital water safety is,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “We’re committed to supporting equitable access to swim lessons to help decrease the risk of drowning.”

DEM is seeking proposals for grants to fund swim lesson scholarships for youth under 18 from low-income households. Eligible applicants include municipalities, non-profits and companies that provide or fund free swimming or paddlecraft lessons. Grant funds must fully cover the cost of lessons for eligible students. Awards start at $5,000 with no maximum amount, based on demonstrated need.

The new adaptive swimming grant opportunity will cover the cost of equipment or staff training for adaptive programs. This grant is not intended to cover the cost of swim lessons. There is no minimum or maximum budget for this grant.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity to fund pre-swimming and safety opportunities,” said Ray Rickman, director of Swim Empowerment with Stages of Freedom. He continued, “We’ve been doing what we’ve never done before – removing the barriers to why some young people do not learn to swim. We’ve been providing swimsuits, swim caps, whatever it takes to push back about barriers. For African-American girls it is often a deep and real concern about their hair, so swim caps, which one girl we helped said she knew nothing about, allowed her to participate.”

Rickman noted that his program has taught over 7,700 children to swim, and learn how to be safe around the water, adding, “We’re keeping records so we can present this, if awarded, as a report to the state, so the state can make use of it for even greater success going forward.” Rickman was awarded the 2024 “Y” Hero for the program he founded. “It’s important to understand the reasons why Black youth drown five times the rate of White youth – we’re doing new things to find out why – child by child.”

Youth swim at the Boys & Girls Club of Providence

“DEM’s Water Safety Grant Program is a smart investment in prevention and community well-being,” said Karen Santilli, CEO of the Greater Providence YMCA. “By focusing resources where they are needed most, it has helped the Y provide free swim lessons and water safety training to more at-risk youth and adults across Rhode Island. This impact is especially critical in places like Providence’s Mount Hope and East Cranston, where targeted outreach and affordable programming are helping close long-standing gaps in access and safety. With many neighborhoods facing disinvestment in public pools, this support is more important than ever. We’re grateful to DEM for recognizing water safety as a matter of equity and public health.”

Among other evaluation criteria, applications will be assessed for their location within one of DEM’s environmental justice (EJ) communities as part of DEM’s commitment to EJ. Applications are open until Dec. 10, 2025. For full details about the program, and to apply, please visit dem.ri.gov/swimgrants. For questions or technical assistance for applying to the Water Safety Grant Program, please contact Troy Langknecht at troy.langknecht@dem.ri.gov or (401) 537-4150.

According to CDC data, drowning deaths continue to rise nationally. As of March 2025, 1,045 students were served, twelve life rings have been installed, and two paddlecraft lessons were held through DEM’s Water Safety Program.