CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) – Free youth swimming lessons are coming to Cortland.

On June 2, the Cortland County Family YMCA announced a $35,000 grant from the Alliance of New York State YMCAs through the NYS Department of Health.

The funding will provide free lessons for children aged 6 months to 12 years over the next 14 months.

“Learning to swim is not a luxury; it is a life-saving skill,” said Gunnar Madison, Regional Executive Director of the Cortland County Family YMCA and the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County. “Each year, drowning claims the lives of far too many children and families, despite being largely preventable. We also know that significant disparities exist in access to swim lessons and water safety education, particularly among low-income families, communities of color, and children with developmental disabilities. This funding allows us to address those inequities head-on by lowering barriers for participation and ensuring more children have access to high-quality swim instruction, reducing risk, building confidence, and creating safer communities throughout Cortland County.”

The Y plans to begin offering the free lessons during the upcoming 8-week swim lesson session, which begins July 26. Participants are eligible to sign up for up to three sessions during the grant period, which runs from July 2026 through August 2027.

Registration opens the week of July 5. Contact Aquatics Director Henry Belton at hbelton@cortlandymca.org for more information.