Hundreds more children are learning to swim at Mount Rainier Pool this year after the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District introduced new technology that makes it easier for families to apply for financial assistance for swim lessons.
According to the Mount Rainier Pool, increased participation prompted the district to expand its swim lesson scholarship program from $1,000 to $15,000.
The improvement comes through a partnership between the district and software provider Recreation Management, which donated a document module that allows families to complete scholarship applications on their smartphones in their preferred language in less than five minutes. The new system eliminates the need for a printer, scanner or computer.
“This is exactly the kind of access we want Mount Rainier Pool to provide,” said Shane Stender, a board member for the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District. “We’re helping ensure that everyone has access to swim lessons, water safety programs, recreation, fitness, and job training opportunities.”
District officials said the registration system and Mount Rainier Pool website already allow visitors to find information and register for programs in more than 250 languages. The new scholarship module is intended to make the application process faster and easier for families seeking financial assistance.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the district and its community partners have provided more than $175,000 in free aquatics programs, including swim lessons, free daily pool use, lifeguard and swim instructor training, community swim team access and lifeguard preparation courses. Those programs are supported through grants, scholarships and partnerships with organizations including King County Parks, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Des Moines Legacy Foundation.
District officials said scholarships help families afford swim lessons and water safety training, while free lifeguard and swim instructor training provides teens and young adults with job skills that can lead to careers in recreation, public service, education or emergency response.
“Mount Rainier Pool is more than a place to swim,” said Gene Achziger of Des Moines Legacy. “It’s a place where kids can not only build confidence around the water but develop can-do attitudes that are proven to help them academically. The skills they learn can lead to first jobs or build future careers.”
District officials said they believe simplifying the scholarship application process is helping more families take advantage of available programs.
“When the process is easier, more people can say yes,” Stender said. “That means more kids learning to swim, more families using the pool, more young people gaining job skills, and more residents feeling that Mount Rainier Pool is a place where they belong.”
Mount Rainier Pool continues to offer swim lessons, lap swim, family swim, open swim, water exercise, water walking, facility rentals, training programs and other aquatics opportunities for residents of Des Moines, Normandy Park and surrounding communities. Community members interested in scholarship assistance can apply through the Mount Rainier Pool registration system.
