Fridays have become a highlight of the week for fifth grader Taylor Judd, who spends part of the day learning how to swim through a program at Uncommon Ocean Hill Middle School.

“It was very fun, and I would like to do it more often,” Taylor said after a recent lesson. “I wish I could come here every day.”

Taylor is one of 49 fifth graders participating this spring in the free annual swimming program sponsored by the public charter school, where students spend 45 minutes every Friday for seven weeks learning water safety and swimming fundamentals.

For some students, it is their first formal exposure to swimming instruction.

“This is my first time having swimming classes,” Taylor said. “I like that we can learn new things and have fun together.”

The program, now in its fourth year, has served nearly 200 students and has become a signature experience at the Brooklyn charter school, which is part of the high-performing Uncommon Schools network and operates 23 schools in the borough serving Pre-K through 12th grade students, as well as schools in Rochester, Boston, Newark, and Camden, N.J.

Photo courtesy of Uncommon Schools

Principal Miriam Maul said the lessons are designed not only to build confidence, but also to keep students safe in and around the water as families head to pools and beaches during the summer months.

“The swimming program has become a staple experience for UOHM’s fifth graders for the past four years,” Maul said. “It also serves to reduce the likelihood of our kids drowning in neighborhood pools or beaches as the summer months approach, and it builds confidence and community amongst our youngest students.”

[Watch this video to hear directly from Assistant Aquatics Director Jamel DeSilva and students.]

Jace Blackman said the lessons are helping him become more confident in the water.

“My favorite thing about swimming is going into the water,” Jace said. “What they do here can help me get better at swimming. Maybe I might be close to drowning, and I can be able to swim out of it.”

Jace said he appreciates that his school offers something many others do not.

“This is the only school I went to that actually offers this,” he said. “It’s actually cool that they’re doing this.”

Kevon Culver, another fifth grader, said he has taken swim lessons since he was about 5 years old, but considers the Ocean Hill program the best he has experienced.

“They give you better lessons than the other ones I was at,” Kevon said. “They teach me easier things.”
Photo courtesy of Uncommon Schools

The lessons are held at Brooklyn Sports Club and led by Assistant Aquatics Director Jamel DeSilva, whose own son attends Uncommon Ocean Hill.

“These kids are amazing,” DeSilva said. “This is my extended family, and it’s very important that all of these children learn to swim, especially going into the summertime.”

DeSilva said instructors focus on core swimming fundamentals because students enter the program with different levels of experience.

“We want to make sure that children are able to float on their stomach, float on their back, and they are able to do the freestyle technique,” he said.

He said one of the most rewarding parts of the program is watching students overcome fear and gain confidence in the water.

“We had students start off in the training pool,” DeSilva said. “After six weeks, we were able to get them to jump off the diving block into 10 feet of water. They worked on their skills, they worked on their courage.”

For Taylor, the lessons already are inspiring her to share what she has learned with others.

“I’m going to see if I can teach other people too and show everybody what I learned from this place,” she said.

Seats are still available at Uncommon Ocean Hill Middle School for school year 2026-2027 – to learn more, visit: https://nyc.uncommonschools.org/ocean-hill-middle/