The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™, created by the World Waterpark Association in 2010, is a global public relations event supported by aquatic facilities, waterparks, pools, swim schools, YMCA’s, among others. The WLSL event serves as a platform to help the global aquatics industry work together to build awareness about the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim to prevent drowning. Swimming is a life-saving skill for children and a vital tool to prevent drowning, the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for U.S. children ages 1-14. Research shows the risk of drowning can be reduced by 88 percent if children participate in formal swimming lessons between the ages of 1-4. Yet, a survey conducted by the American Red Cross in 2014 found that more than half of Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills. This CAN and SHOULD change and this is the mission of TEAM WLSL™.

This 2018 World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ will take place on Thursday, June 21st. This will be the ninth year for the global event and TEAM WLSL™ will continue with its goal of reaching more than one billion with the message Swimming Lesson Save Lives™ by 2019. Local WLSL events will take place at hundreds of locations in more than 20 countries on five continents over the course of 24 hours.