What is ISR?
Founded in 1966 by Dr. Harvey Barnett, Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) is a global leader in survival swimming lessons for infants and young children. With a network of over 700 highly trained instructors, we offer the safest and most effective lessons available. Our ISR Self-Rescue® program is backed by more than 45 years of research, achieving life-saving results for young swimmers.
At ISR, we recognize that pool fences, alarms, and adult supervision are critical components of drowning prevention. However, over 4,000 drowning deaths per year highlight a crucial gap in these strategies: the child's role. We believe children must be empowered as active participants in their own safety. With over 300,000 ISR graduates and 800 documented survival stories, our program proves that children can be taught the skills they need to save themselves. ISR embraces children's natural curiosity and capability, guiding them to develop essential water survival skills.
So you’re considering ISR lessons?
CAN YOU COMMIT TO 20 to 35 LESSONS | 5 DAYS A WEEK | 10 MINUTES A DAY?
Consistency is crucial for skill development, so attendance is required for success. If you anticipate your child missing any sessions, please discuss this with the instructor before enrolling, as deposits are non-refundable and missed lessons cannot be credited.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN?
This may mean adjusting or pausing lessons for your child, even if a doctor clears them to resume.
As ISR Instructors, we follow strict safety protocols to ensure each lesson is as safe as possible. We’re dedicated to your child's safety and our work, so we appreciate your understanding!
WE ASK STUDENTS HAVE NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK TWO HOURS PRIOR TO THE LESSON TIME.
Please consider whether the available lesson times align with your schedule or if adjustments can be made to accommodate them.
This rule is non-negotiable, as it prioritizes your child’s safety by preventing aspiration and pool contamination. In such cases, all lessons for the day will be canceled until the pool is properly treated. A $100 pool cleaning fee will also apply.
Many local daycares are familiar with Valley ISR’s protocols, as many of their children have participated in our lessons.
CAN YOU BE OPEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE YOUR INSTRUCTOR?
We encourage you to share any questions or concerns with us—we can only address them if we know about them! Open communication is key, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re committed to providing clear explanations and appreciate the same in return.
CAN YOU MANAGE THE INVESTMENT IN ISR?
The main fees to consider are a non-refundable medical registration fee to ISR ($105) and a session fee of $720 to your instructor. To reserve a time slot, a non-refundable deposit of $240 (one-third of the session fee) is required. This deposit secures your spot and will be applied to the remaining balance, which is due on the first day of lessons.
We offer partial scholarship opportunities for qualifying families. If you’re interested, please reach out to the instructor whose schedule best aligns with your needs. If multiple schedules work, please include all relevant instructors in the same email to minimize confusion. Keep in mind that space in a session is not guaranteed, and all scholarships require some level of financial commitment.
ANYONE YOU TRUST CAN BRING YOUR CHILD TO LESSONS.
We know it often takes a village to make ISR lessons possible. Anyone you trust is welcome to bring your child to lessons, as long as they follow the safety protocols established by ISR and Valley ISR.
IF YOU ANSWERED “YES” TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, THEN IT’S TIME TO GET STARTED!
NEED MORE INFORMATION? CHECK OUT OUR FAQs BELOW
What will my child learn?
6 months - 20 months
Why this young? Because the sooner the safer!
The Rollback-to-Float program teaches breath control, correct floating posture and the skills to attain a back float and remain floating for a varied period of time. These students are brought back at an older age to learn our Swim-Float-Swim sequence, which they already know a portion of.
21 months and up
The Swim-Float-Swim program begins with teaching breath control and the skills to secure the edge of the pool or steps. Children learn correct swimming posture in a face down position, how to roll on to their backs to float, and turn back over to continue swimming. This is repeated until safety is reached.
DURING YOUR CHILD'S LAST WEEK WE WILL HAVE PARENTS GET IN THE POOL. WE THEN TEACH YOU HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR CHILD'S NEW SKILLS IN THE WATER AND ENJOY YOUR TIME IN THE WATER TOGETHER.
Also, during the final week of lessons, while under the watchful eye of an instructor, each of our students have the opportunity to practice their self-rescue skills in their clothes. We like to do both summer and winter clothes as drowning knows no season.