YMCA Swim School takes a safety-first approach, focusing on small class sizes, boosting confidence in the water, building student/instructor relationships, and allowing each student to progress at their own pace.
Our lessons develop aquatic readiness, engage in underwater exploration, and teach children important water safety skills. We offer warm water options, year-round lessons, certified instructors, and more!
The YMCA provides swimming lessons to swimmers of all ages and skill levels, from infants to adults! We also offer private lessons, semi-private lessons, and adaptive lessons for swimmers with special needs.
Our Swim School is now a designated Level 2 Autism Friendly Partner! Learn more on our Diverse Abilities page.
Lesson Details
| Fercho YMCA | Ages 6 months – Adult | Group and Private options available |
Adult Lessons: Improve your technique, learn swim strokes, gain comfort in the pool,or overcome fear of the water! Participants swim once per week for 30 minutes at the Fercho YMCA. Ages 15+. Private and adaptive options are available. Scroll to down to view available days and times in our Schedule table.
Group Lessons: Group lessons are our standard lesson format, with class sizes limited to 4 students per 1 instructor. These lessons offer a more affordable option while still allowing limited contact between households and lots of individual instructor/student interaction.
Private Lessons: Do your kids need extra attention in the pool? Private lessons are a great way to build confidence and skills in a one-on-one environment!
Available Sessions
In our Seasonal Sessions, lessons are held once a week for 30 minutes.
| Session | Dates | Schedule |
| Fall Session 1 | Sept. 5 - Oct. 21, 2023 | View Schedule |
| Fall Session 2 | Oct. 23 - Dec. 9, 2023 | View Schedule |
Missed the start date? No worries - You can register for lessons even after a session has started. Prices will be pro-rated for classes that have already passed.
Session Prices
| Session Type | Lesson Type | Members | Non-Members |
| Adult Swimming Lessons | Regular Lessons | $70 | $140 |
| Fall Session 1 | Regular Lessons | $70 | $140 |
| Fall Session 1 | Private Lessons | $280 | $560 |
| Fall Session 2 | Regular Lessons | $70 | $140 |
| Fall Session 2 | Private Lessons | $280 | $560 |
*Member Registration: opens for Fall Session 1 and 2 on August 7, 2023!
*Non-Member Registration: Session 1 registration opens August 14, 2023. Session 2 registration opens on October 2, 2023.
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Make-Up Lessons: Due to the size and format of the classes, there will be no make-ups for missed classes.
Lesson Placement and Level Assessments: Level placement is based on skill level, not age. To determine what level your child should be in, view our Lesson Level Flowchart or Lesson Level Descriptions using the buttons below.
Still not sure what level you should register for? FREE swim lesson level assessments will be held Saturdays 12:00 - 12:30pm. Please reach out to our Swimming Lesson Coordinator at swimschool@ymcacassclay.org or 701.364.4168 for more information or if you need an assessment at a different time!
• Skill Patch Rewards: As each child progresses at their own pace, they will be recognized for their accomplishments with patches from the level they’ve completed.
• Warm Water Small Pool Option: Levels Parent/Baby through Starfish are located in the smaller, warm water pool. The 87º pool keeps children comfortable and staying in the water. Levels Turtle through Shark are located in our large pool. Private and Adaptive lessons vary from small to large pool, depending on the participant and pool availability.
• Small Class Sizes: Classes are held as a group and structured by age and ability to accommodate varying skill levels within each age group. Student to teacher ratios are a very small 4:1 with Parent/Baby and Parent/Child classes 6:1.
• Certified Swim Lesson Instructors: The swim teachers are highly trained in safety, class management and keeping children engaged with enthusiasm, imagination and fun! All teachers are also CPR and First Aid certified.
• Year-Round Swimming: Consistency and practice are key to fine-tuning or retaining any skill on a more permanent basis. With our indoor pools, children can swim year-round and consistently build upon and progress in their skills.
• Safety Day: Included once per session with all independent lessons, Safety Day teaches the ‘Throw Don’t Go’ method, life jacket usage, and additional instruction on what to do in the event of an emergency.
Teaching children how to be safe around water is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water – but, as a parent or caregiver, you can’t keep your children sidelined. You need to equip them with the tools they need to be confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends and the sense of accomplishment when they learn new skills.
Check out our Safety Around Water page to help keep you, your children, and our community safe while playing in and around the water!