According to the Center for Disease Control, more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14. And in predominantly minority communities, the youth drowning rate is often 2-3 times higher than the national average.  

Every Horizons student learns to swim. Most students come to the program as non-swimmers who are afraid of the water. We’ve found that when their teachers join them in the pool, students learn trust and build self-esteem – and those qualities carry over into the classroom.  
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Learning to swim:

• Transforms a feared challenge into a favorite activity​
• Encourages attention to detail and commitment to a goal 
• Teaches resilience and strategies to overcome fears and obstacles 
• Inspires a healthy lifestyle 
• Introduces a competitive sport 
• Teaches skills for summer employment 
• Is FUN – it’s the overwhelming favorite activity among Horizons students

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THE WESTMINSTER POOL

Our pool has eight 25-yard lanes ranging in depth from 4 feet to 12 feet under the dual one-meter diving boards. Four locker rooms (two for each gender) allow swimmers plenty of space while changing.
 
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Temperature and air quality are critical. The facility's powerful HVAC system enables us to hold the water temperature at 81 year round with comfortable humidity levels controlled by continuously bringing in fresh air after recovering the heat (or “cool” during the summer) from the air leaving the pool area.