Making Waves at the AYCC With the IM Phelps Swim Grant

• November 15, 2025
• Latest News · News

At the heart of our mission at the AYCC is the belief that every child deserves access:  access to opportunity, access to growth, access to confidence. This summer, thanks to a generous partnership with the Michael Phelps Foundation and the support of the IM Program, we were able to bring something very special to our youth enrolled in the Summer Enrichment Program; free swim lessons.

Here’s how this powerful collaboration came together – and the incredible impact we saw in our community.

What’s the IM Program?

The IM Program was created by the Michael Phelps Foundation, with a simple but bold idea: when kids feel confident in the water, they expand their confidence in every part of their lives.

The program combines three key elements:

• Water safety/swim lessons – offering in-water swim instruction so that participants become comfortable and confident.
• Physical activity/movement – encouraging kids to move their bodies, be active, and build strength in and out of the pool.
• Wellness & goal-setting curriculum – teaching broader life skills:  goal-setting, mental wellness, healthy habits.

In short, it’s not just about learning to swim – it’s about building confidence, safety, health, and resilience.

Learn more about the Michael Phelps IM Program.

How the AYCC Put It Into Action

This past summer, our Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) was enriched by this grant. Here’s how we leveraged it:

• We offered no-cost swim lessons to all youth enrolled in SEP. Become of the grant, families did not have to pay – removing a key barrier.
• We integrated the swim lessons into our schedule so that the swim time became a consistent, scheduled part of our enrichment day.
• Instructors worked alongside our program staff to ensure that the swim lessons were fun, supportive, age-appropriate, and focused on both safety and skill-building.
• We emphasized not just “can you swim” but “do you feel confident in the water?” because confidence is the goal.
• Beyond the pool, we also incorporated discussions or quick sessions (when possible) around movement, healthy habits, and goal-thinking – inspired by the IM Program’s broader wellness curriculum.

Impact We Saw

Thanks to the grant and our implementation, here are some of the real-life outcomes we observed:

• Increased water confidence – Many kids who were initially hesitant around water by mid-summer were actively participating, jumping in, practicing strokes, and even showing pride in their progress.
• Safety enhanced: With the swim lessons, we feels stronger as a program that our youth are getting vital water-safety skills – especially in a state like Maine with lots of access to lakes, pools, and water.
• Broader skill transfer – We noticed that the confidence built in the pool seemed to show up in other areas – kids volunteered for new enrichment activities, tried new things, felt more willing to take risks (in a good way) in their learning, and displayed more positive self-belief.
• Family support and gratitude – Because the lessons were free, we heard from families who said this was something they could never have afforded otherwise. It strengthened our relationship with the community and showed that the AYCC is providing meaningful, equitable access.
• Program enrichment & morale boost:  Our staff saw how excited kids were to go to lessons; many came out of the pool talking about what they did, what they want to learn next, and showing off their new skills. That excitement carried back into the enrichment day.

Reflections & Looking Ahead

This partnership has shown us that grants like the IM Program don’t just supplement what we do – they transform it. A few reflections:

• Removing barriers matters – When cost is removed, access is expanded. Some families told us they had never enrolled their child in swim lessons before. Now they have.
• Confidence is cumulative – The water-confidence kids build doesn’t stay in the pool – it shapes how they approach other parts of their life (at the AYCC and beyond)
• Wellness is holistic – While our focus was the swim lessons, the wellness/goal-setting piece invites us to expand our thinking: Could we pair swimming with more structured goal-reflection or habit-building sessions next year?
• Scaling & Sustainability – We’re inspired to keep building this offering, to continue free swim lessons each summer, and ideally to integrate older youth as peer mentors in the pool so the growth continues.
• Sharing success builds momentum – We plan to share these stories – both successes and learnings – with our funders, our families, and our broader community, to build awareness of how impactful this kind of program can be.

Thank You & Call to Action

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Michael Phelps Foundation and the IM Program for making this opportunity possible. We also thank our incredible instructors, AYCC staff, and the families who trusted us with their children’s enrichment time.

If you are reading this and you’re part of the AYCC community (staff, parent, donor, neighbor) – here’s how you can keep this momentum going:

• Spread the word
• Explore partnerships/sponsorships
• Encourage goal-setting at home
• Volunteer

Final Thoughts

At the AYCC, our role is more than offering activities – it’s about equipping youth with skills, confidence and experiences that set them up for success. The IM Program grant allowed us to deliver more than swimming lessons – we delivered empowerment, safety, and a platform for growth.

We look forward to continuing this journey, watching our youth “dive in” not just to the pool, but into all the possibilities their future holds.

Here’s to brighter summers, stronger swimmers, and more confident kids.

Brenna Saucier, Aquatics Director – 207-873-0684 x230 | bsaucier@clubaycc.org

DJ Adams, Childcare Services Director – 207-873-0684 x247 | dadams@clubaycc.org