ISR
6 MONTHS TO 6 YEARS | OPEN TO NON-MEMBERS
Survival swimming lessons for infants and young children in Delaware and the surrounding communities
Registration for the remaining 2025 ISR sessions is now open!
Not One More Child Drowns
All students, even those as young as 6 months old, learn the fundamental ISR skill of rolling onto their backs to float, rest, and breathe. Infants and toddlers who are not yet walking well will learn to maintain this position until help can reach them, and it's just as important for our older students as they incorporate more swimming skills.
As toddlers and young children gain more physical skills on land, they are ready to learn more skills in the water as well. ISR teaches children to swim a short distance, rotate onto their back to a floating position, and then turn over to continue the sequence of swimming and floating until they can reach safety at the steps, side of the pool, or shoreline.
Class Structure
Students come to lessons 5 days a week, Monday – Friday. Each lesson will be no more than 10 minutes long with just one child in the water at a time. Lessons are individually tailored to meet your child’s developmental and physical abilities as well as meeting their emotional needs. Much is accomplished in a short but very intense private lesson. Your child will have the same 10-minute time slot each day. You can expect your child to complete his or her initial course within 6 weeks.
2025 Session Start Dates:
- April 28th*
- May 12th* (Refresher Only)
- June 16th* (Refresher Only)
- June 23rd*
- July 21st*
- September 8th
- October 27th
*Peak season pricing in effect- please see pricing below for details
What Should I Enroll for?
ISR Self-Rescue®
These are the standard ISR lessons discussed on the ISR website. If your child has never done ISR lessons or has done other swim lessons outside of ISR, this is the type of lessons you want to select for scheduling. These lessons usually take an average of six weeks to complete, depending on the age and ability of the child.
ISR Floater to Swimmer
These lessons are ONLY for babies who completed ISR lessons as a ROLL-BACK TO FLOAT and are now ready to learn SWIM-FLOAT-SWIM.
If your child was over one year of age when they completed lessons previously and they did some swimming, then you need to select REFRESHER. If you are not sure, please contact us before scheduling.
ISR Refresher
These lessons are for children who have already completed the full ISR set of swim-float-swim lessons. As the name implies, these lessons enable the children to "refresh" the skills that they have already learned. Students attend lessons Monday-Friday for ten minutes each day. Since these skills are not new to the children, refresher lessons usually take approximately two weeks. These should be completed every 4-6 months.
Meet Our Instructors
ISR Master Instructor
Devon is well-versed in youth activity and swim instruction. She earned her Baccalaureate degree in Rec and Leisure Management with a minor in business from York College of PA. Since graduating, she’s devoted her time to serving the youth, facilitating a community youth center, working at an indoor sports arena, and teaching mommy and me swim classes at the YMCA in downtown DE.
Devon’s been a devoted employee of HAC’s aquatics department since the beginning. She started here when the doors opened, working in both the office and the pools, teaching various beginner-level swim lessons. She jumped at the opportunity to become an ISR instructor in 2012 because she “just knew (she) had to do it.” As a mother, she would think about the dangers of being around a pool deck with her own kids and would find a solution that could save her and other kids’ lives.
After ten years of instruction, Devon was promoted to a Master ISR Instructor, giving her the skills to train others to become ISR instructors as well. By furthering ISR’s mission of Not One More Child Drown, she hopes to “educate all families on drowning prevention and equip children of all ages and abilities with the skills to navigate any body of water.”
ISR Instructor
Judith Velázquez-Alampi’s more than 50 years of martial arts, military, and police officer experience are what make her a highly motivating and dedicated trainer. She holds an array of exercise certifications, teaching or subbing for almost every group fitness class, including Les Mills, and even manages to find time to teach aqua fitness classes.
Judy’s passion for aquatics started in 2014 when she began instructing AquaFit Zumba classes. From there, she transitioned to WATERinMOTION®, a new class introduced to the club in 2018. Her interest in ISR came in 2021 when rumors that they were looking to expand the team spread. Two years later, she now has the opportunity to teach children to save themselves, giving them the skills to maneuver to safety in the water.
The natural progression from a career in aquatics fitness to a low-intensity instructional course working with children is what drew her to want to challenge herself with something new. She wants to be able to share her love for all things aquatics with parents and children to build a lifelong appreciation and respect for the water.
ISR Instructor
Kristin earned her degree in health and PE from West Chester University of PA. Wanting to continue building her credentials, she later earned certifications in lifeguarding and fitness training. She has an extensive history working with kids. Outside of raising three of her own, Kristin has taught and coached softball, led swim lessons, and worked in childcare and summer camp right here at HAC. Kristin has always been a big supporter of water safety and the ISR program. As ISR kids, her children have grown to love the water. Knowing they have the skills to maneuver themselves to safety in the water is something that brings Kristin great comfort. As an ISR instructor herself, Kristin’s goal is to bring every parent this same level of comfort.
Learning Expectations
Age 6 months - 12 months
- learn to hold their breath underwater
- learn to roll onto their back
- learn to float unassisted, rest, and breathe until help arrives
- learn to perform ISR's Self-Rescue® skills first in a swim diaper and then while fully clothed.
Age 12 months - 6 years
- learn to hold their breath underwater
- learn to swim with their head down
- learn to roll onto their back and float, rest, and breathe
- learn to roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool, crawl out or be rescued by an adult
- learn to perform the Self-Rescue® first in a swim diaper/bathing suit and then fully clothed.
Pricing
Limited scholarships are available each year. Due to limited quantities available, instructor approval must be confirmed prior to applying.
Enrollment:
- $105 Enrollment Fee through ISR National
Weekly Fee:
- $140 per week
- *$150 during peak season