When Hinsdale Central student and Swimmers for Swimmers President Jonathan Hurley ‘26 saw kids hesitant to go into the pool, he came up with the idea of Swimmers for Swimmers, a nonprofit program that would help those who don’t have regular access to swimming lessons learn how to stay afloat in the water. 

“I started lifeguarding [in the] summer [of] my freshman year at Hinsdale Community Pool, and there was this group of swimmers from the community house that would come,” Hurley said. “When they would come, I would see a lot of them were struggling. Not all of them were having fun.”

Swimmers for Swimmers is an organization that gives affordable swim lessons to children in grade school. The program had summer sessions every Tuesday that started in June, and lasted for six weeks. Swimmers for Swimmers also extends the program to the school year, Vice President of the club and LT student Chloe Elter ‘26 said. 

“We provide the materials necessary for underserved populations to thrive,” Hurley said. “That’s the main goal.”

At the moment, Swimmers for Swimmers works solely with The Spark Youth Initiative (Spark). Services include tutoring, mentoring, and therapy, along with field trips and pool days. Spark focuses on providing services to Willowbrook Corner, a neighborhood that normally doesn’t have access to a pool, let alone lessons on water safety. Giving children opportunities to learn swim safety is an integral part of Swimmers For Swimmers.

“One in every four drowning incidents is from kids who are in first through fifth grade, and we only taught first through third grade this year,” Elter said. “But we hope to end up expanding it and making sure that more kids are learning and bringing that statistic down.” 

Swimmers For Swimmers has plans in the future to continue and grow the program so that more kids can learn swim safety. 

“Sustainability is definitely a big thing. I want this to keep going on after I graduate,” Hurley said. “This summer was kind of a trial run, next summer we want to ideally expand to Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central.”

Swimmers For Swimmers’ goal is to provide children with the necessary skills to swim; however, the program tries to create bonds and memories that go beyond that, Hurley said.

“On the last day, we did coloring and games,” Hurley said. “It was just a little sentimental send off thing, a lot of the kids gave their favorite instructors thank you cards.”