OEF Expands Learn-To-Swim Program Into South Eleuthera Primary Schools

Making Waves: OEF Brings Life-Saving Swim Education to South Eleuthera’s Primary Schools

In island nations like The Bahamas, where daily life is shaped by the sea, learning how to swim is not a luxury — it is a life-saving necessity. This year, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) took an important step forward by expanding its FREE Learn-to-Swim Program into the physical education curriculum of two primary schools in South Eleuthera, providing children with skills that save lives, build confidence, and create future opportunities.

Launched on September 15th, this pilot program – a collaboration with the Ministry of Education and The Sean Connery Foundation – builds on OEF’s successful Learn-to-Swim summer initiative, which has already delivered free water-safety and drowning-prevention training to nearly 400 children and adults over the past five years. Thanks to donor generosity, this expanded school-based version continues to be offered at no cost to students or their families.

Three times a week, students from Tarpum Bay Primary and Rock Sound Primary board buses and head to the CTI Campus in Rock Sound, where OEF’s 25-meter saltwater pool becomes their classroom. Currently, 51 students in Grades 3 and 4 are enrolled, with plans underway to welcome more schools in the months ahead. For many children, this marks their very first introduction to structured swim instruction and an opportunity to overcome deep-rooted, multi-generational fears of water.

Under the guidance of trained swim instructors, students learn:

Survival swimming skills
Basic and intermediate stroke techniques
Water-safety rules and rescue awareness
How to remain calm in emergency situations

These lessons build confidence and save lives in communities increasingly vulnerable to storm surges, rip currents, and rising climate-related dangers.

A Pathway to the Blue Economy

Beyond safety, swimming unlocks access to a growing range of careers via the Blue Economy, including lifeguarding, water sports, marine tourism, ocean conservation, and scientific research. By learning this skill early, Eleuthera’s youth are better positioned to participate in and shape the sustainable ocean-based industries of the present and future.

Donors Making a Generational Difference

This expanded Learn-to-Swim initiative is fully funded through the generosity of OEF donors and partners who believe every child deserves the chance to feel safe, confident, and capable in the water. Their support is transforming fear into freedom and equipping our next generation with skills that last a lifetime.

As we look to the future, OEF hopes to scale the program across more schools island-wide. With continued donor support, we can ensure that every child on Eleuthera grows up with the confidence and ability to navigate the waters that surround us.