The hot temperatures of summer call for cool days by the pool. Beginning Monday, July 16 and running until Friday, August 24, Hocking College will be offering an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) program to teach children how to swim and save themselves from drowning if they ever find themselves in that scenario. The classes will be held Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.
What Exactly Is The ISR Program?
ISR is a swimming program where trained instructors teach children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years on how to keep themselves safe in emergency water situations. Each session is one-on-one with a certified ISR instructor who tailors each session to your child’s needs, learning style, and safety.
The History of ISR
ISR was founded by Harvey Barnett, Ph.D. after he witnessed his neighbor’s 9-month-old drown in their swimming pool in 1966. Based on theoretical learning and behavior science, Barnett constructed ISR’s self-rescue method. This carefully constructed approach teaches children how to save and rescue themselves from the water while also being comfortable in it. Children are taught not to be afraid of the water, but to be careful and cautious, and to have a joyful and fun experience while swimming. Since its founding in 1966, ISR has more than 800 documented success stories using the survival techniques presented in ISR classes.
How Does The Program Work?
ISR teaches children what to do in life-or-death situations in the water. For babies 6 to 12 months of age, students learn how to hold their breath underwater and turn onto their backs to float until rescued by an adult. For children between the ages of 1 to 6 years old, lessons include learning how to hold their breath underwater, swim with their heads down, turn onto their backs to breathe and relax, and how to turn onto their backs to continue swimming. Students in this structured technique also learn how to swim to the nearest edge of the pool, or body of water, and properly crawl out safely onto land.
All students will begin the program wearing a swimsuit, but will eventually transition to being fully clothed. This method proves to be most effective since the majority of emergency cases report the child being fully dressed.
Tell Me More About The Instructor's Certification
As the world’s safest provider of survival swimming lessons for children, ISR prides itself on the rigorous training undergone by instructors before they are able to teach. Each instructor must complete an 8-week program that includes both academic learning and in-water training. Curriculum emphasizes on the “unique cognitive, intellectual, and physical development in children.” Throughout the training sessions, instructors are instilled with the passion to prioritize your child’s safety for the best learning experience and outcomes. After certification and graduation, each instructor is recognized as an aquatic behavior specialist whose classes are taught with high standards.
Certified ISR instructor, Tracy Wheeler, will be teaching the ISR classes at Hocking College. Each session will take place at the Student Center pool.
Interested in signing up? Contact Tracy Wheeler by email
or by calling (614) 382-2772.
Keep Your Family Safe
Statistically, 63% of all children who drown are under the age of four. Drowning is also the leading cause of accidental death in children. In addition, it only takes a few minutes of submersion to affect your child’s life forever. After two minutes of submersion, a child will lose consciousness and after 4-6 minutes of submersion, permanent brain damage can occur. With that in mind, here are a few tips to keep your children safe this summer:
- Keep active, uninterrupted supervision of your child(ren) at all times
- Install a barrier around the pool that includes a self-closing and locking system
- Install alarms and locks around your house at any entrances including windows, doors, utility doors, and even pet doors that may lead to your pool
- Never leave your child(ren) unattended
If you have questions or would like more information about the ISR program, contact Tracy Wheeler or the Hocking College Student Center.
