Are you a university student with swimming experience looking to give back to your local community? Do you enjoy working with children with disabilities and want to help them learn a valuable life skill while having fun in the water? Maybe you have worked as a swim instructor before and miss being in the pool since starting university. If this sounds like you, you might be the perfect fit to volunteer for SWAM Canada!

SWAM Sudbury volunteer instructors sit together by the edge of a pool.

Why Volunteer with SWAM Canada?

Swimming With A Mission (SWAM) Canada is a national non-profit organization that offers affordable 1-on-1 swimming lessons to children with disabilities. As a volunteer swim instructor, you can play a direct role in making swimming more inclusive and accessible by:

1. Empowering kids in an aquatic setting:

Help your swimmer develop their confidence, improve their swimming skills and learn important water safety in a fun and supportive environment.

2. Build meaningful connections:

Develop meaningful relationships with your swimmer and their family, becoming a trusted figure and brightening their day every time they come to the pool!

3. Find your own community while at university:

Join a team of passionate, like-minded individuals who support each other to achieve a common goal outside the classroom.

4. Experience personal growth:

Work on your leadership, communication and teaching skills, which will be helpful in any future careers.

What Do Our Volunteers Do?

Our volunteers are paired with a child for the course of a session, where you will run a 30-minute 1-on-1 swim lesson every week and work towards their specific goals. Lessons do not follow a formal curriculum and are instead tailored to the specific needs and abilities of your swimmer.

A volunteer instructor smiles while helping her kiddo swim on his front.

All lessons are supervised by certified lifeguards so we do not require any teaching or lifesaving certifications from you. All that we ask is that you are confident in the water and we will provide any additional support you need.

How To Get Involved

Most chapters are currently recruiting volunteers for the fall 2025 semester. SWAM has 8 chapters spread across Canada, offering plenty of opportunity to join a team near you:

· SWAM Hamilton, affiliated with McMaster University

· SWAM Halifax, affiliated with Dalhousie University

· SWAM Kingston, affiliated with Queen’s University

· SWAM Montréal, affiliated with McGill University

· SWAM Ottawa, affiliated with the University of Ottawa

· SWAM Saint John, affiliated with the University of New Brunswick

· SWAM Sudbury, affiliated with Laurentian University

· SWAM Toronto, affiliated with the University of Toronto

Ready to make a splash? Please apply to your local SWAM chapter using the registration form linked on each respective chapter’s webpage. If your university doesn’t have a chapter but you are passionate about our mission and making an impact in your community, send us an email and we would be thrilled to guide you through the process of expanding SWAM to your campus!

SWAM Ottawa volunteer instructors smile at an in-water training session.

Written by: Camryn McGregor (SWAM Montréal)

Make a Difference and Volunteer with SWAM

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