About
SWIMBABES offers swim lessons, Swim Survival Safety lessons, survival swim lessons, Advanced Swimmer Sessions, Clothing Review Week, Safety Week, and a registration and orientation session. The program also includes Introductory Sessions where children work on balance and breath control, and once-a-week Advanced Sessions for invited swimmers ages 4–9.
• Ages: 0–9 years old
• Schedule: Year-round lessons with summer Tuesday evening sessions from June 2–30 and July 14–August 25, and fall lessons running through December 17
• Price: Orientation Fee: $55.95 (charged at enrollment).
SWIMBABES is a family-run swim school with highly trained, specialized adult instructors and experienced, well-trained adult swim lesson teachers. The program traces its roots back to the 1940s, with the swim school established in 1941, and has been family-owned for four generations with over 80 years of experience. Leadership includes Gay Lee, Oregon’s first swim school owner of the “Gay Lee School of Swim,” Jackie Young, founder of SWIMBABES, and Kelley Robinson, who runs the SWIMBABES program and is Jackie Young’s daughter. The stated mission and priority of SWIMBABES is to teach children safety and survival in the water.
SWIMBABES is described as Oregon’s first Swimming School and the oldest and most experienced swim school program in Oregon. The program offers Swim Survival Safety for babies, toddlers, and kids, uses a proven turn and float method, and reports a proven success rate with children as young as 8 weeks old. It is described as the originator of Swim Survival Safety lessons for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, the first in the Pacific Northwest to offer survival swim lessons for babies and toddlers, and a pioneer of infant swim instruction. Beginner classes for ages 3 and under always include a parent in the water. The program is also described as intentionally small and boutique so that every family is known and every child is seen, and it offers year-round lessons including December starting this year.
SWIMBABES created Infant Swim Survival Safety, SynchroBabies, and SynchroTots programs. It is an internationally and nationally recognized swim program, a Charter Member and first Charter Member of the World Aquatic Babies Congress, and a member of the United States Swim School Association. The program has served as guest speakers and demonstrators in Nagoya, Japan, hosted the world’s youngest swim team visit in 2008, and received the Education Award in Nagoya in 2000 and the Founders Award from World Aquatic Babies & Children in 2007. SWIMBABES has been featured as presenters in Hawaii, California, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and on media outlets including KOIN, KPTV, KATU, KIRO Seattle, and Rainbow Radio Honolulu.
SWIMBABES serves families from Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley, Damascus, Oak Grove, the Portland Metro area, SE Portland, Gladstone, Oregon City, and more, and is an active fundraiser for children’s health and safety organizations such as the Oregon SIDS Project and the Portland Dougy Center.
Parent testimonials describe Kelley as “amazing with kids” and “an expert at teaching your child how to be comfortable and safe in the water,” and note that staff are “friendly, professional, and kind.” One parent reports that in 10 days a 1-year-2-month-old child achieved an independent back float and could go underwater, turn onto the back, and float. Other parents describe the swim safety program as excellent, say their children are praised by other parents for skill level at age 4, and mention that teachers work with children to get them over fears and show dedication and knowledge for swimming.
Last updated July 13, 2026.
• Ages: 0–9 years old
• Schedule: Year-round lessons with summer Tuesday evening sessions from June 2–30 and July 14–August 25, and fall lessons running through December 17
• Price: Orientation Fee: $55.95 (charged at enrollment).
SWIMBABES is a family-run swim school with highly trained, specialized adult instructors and experienced, well-trained adult swim lesson teachers. The program traces its roots back to the 1940s, with the swim school established in 1941, and has been family-owned for four generations with over 80 years of experience. Leadership includes Gay Lee, Oregon’s first swim school owner of the “Gay Lee School of Swim,” Jackie Young, founder of SWIMBABES, and Kelley Robinson, who runs the SWIMBABES program and is Jackie Young’s daughter. The stated mission and priority of SWIMBABES is to teach children safety and survival in the water.
SWIMBABES is described as Oregon’s first Swimming School and the oldest and most experienced swim school program in Oregon. The program offers Swim Survival Safety for babies, toddlers, and kids, uses a proven turn and float method, and reports a proven success rate with children as young as 8 weeks old. It is described as the originator of Swim Survival Safety lessons for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, the first in the Pacific Northwest to offer survival swim lessons for babies and toddlers, and a pioneer of infant swim instruction. Beginner classes for ages 3 and under always include a parent in the water. The program is also described as intentionally small and boutique so that every family is known and every child is seen, and it offers year-round lessons including December starting this year.
SWIMBABES created Infant Swim Survival Safety, SynchroBabies, and SynchroTots programs. It is an internationally and nationally recognized swim program, a Charter Member and first Charter Member of the World Aquatic Babies Congress, and a member of the United States Swim School Association. The program has served as guest speakers and demonstrators in Nagoya, Japan, hosted the world’s youngest swim team visit in 2008, and received the Education Award in Nagoya in 2000 and the Founders Award from World Aquatic Babies & Children in 2007. SWIMBABES has been featured as presenters in Hawaii, California, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and on media outlets including KOIN, KPTV, KATU, KIRO Seattle, and Rainbow Radio Honolulu.
SWIMBABES serves families from Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley, Damascus, Oak Grove, the Portland Metro area, SE Portland, Gladstone, Oregon City, and more, and is an active fundraiser for children’s health and safety organizations such as the Oregon SIDS Project and the Portland Dougy Center.
Parent testimonials describe Kelley as “amazing with kids” and “an expert at teaching your child how to be comfortable and safe in the water,” and note that staff are “friendly, professional, and kind.” One parent reports that in 10 days a 1-year-2-month-old child achieved an independent back float and could go underwater, turn onto the back, and float. Other parents describe the swim safety program as excellent, say their children are praised by other parents for skill level at age 4, and mention that teachers work with children to get them over fears and show dedication and knowledge for swimming.
Last updated July 13, 2026.
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