Vamos a Nadar (Let’s Swim!)

Vamos a Nadar (Let’s Swim!) offers a free swim lesson that includes swimming instruction, in-pool instruction on floating, different strokes, and other safety skills. The program also provides bilingual instruction on water awareness, lifesaving techniques using tools at hand such as sticks, coolers, and pool noodles, and how to summon help in an emergency, along with demonstrations on how to assist someone without becoming a victim. Children participate in a half-day of swimming instruction while parents learn about water hazards and safety, and families are invited to enjoy and explore the swimming areas together after each workshop.

• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Half-day sessions, with classes on the docket in March, April, and May
• Price: Free program; each family receives a coupon for additional swim lessons at partners' pools throughout Sonoma County for a reduced price of $15 (normally at least $50 per child)

Regional Parks launched Vamos a Nadar (Let’s Swim!) in 2004, and in its 20th year, county officials estimate that more than 3,000 youth have participated in the program. The program is a free, bilingual water safety program that targets mostly Spanish-speaking kids and their parents, typically serving families with limited resources who may not be able to afford swim lessons. It is a multisession bilingual water safety program that emphasizes the mantra “Reach, Throw, Don’t Go” and is part of a larger water safety push that includes life jacket loaner stations and River Patrol programs. County officials linked up with the Red Cross and other agencies and advocates to create the program, and the vouchers for follow-up city-run swim lessons are largely underwritten by the Sonoma County Parks Foundation, whose mission is to raise funds, foster partnerships and advocate on behalf of Sonoma County Regional Parks.

The leadership team includes Bert Whitaker, director of Sonoma County Regional Parks; Rosiris Guerra, founder and head cheerleader for the Vamos a Nadar program; and James Brooks, a bilingual instructor who has worked in the program almost since its inception. Program organizers describe looking for long-term solutions rather than just flyers, and note that the parks foundation is “really the backbone of lessons.” They also state that there is an economic barrier to access public swimming facilities and learn-to-swim programs, and that the cost of swim lessons or getting kids to lessons can be a significant financial barrier.

Last updated March 28, 2026.