iCan Swim Hosts

Our hosts include nonprofit organizations, local governments and school districts, advocacy groups and proactive parents that step-up to organize a local iCan Swim program. This usually starts with a motivated individual that wants to formerly introduce swimming into the lives of people with disabilities in their area.

Swimmer

What Hosts Should Expect

Hosting a successful iCan Swim program involves a good deal of effort, however, the feedback and gratitude you will receive from swimmers, families and volunteers will make it worth all your hard work. Being an iCan Swim host may be the toughest job you’ve ever loved!

iCan Swim Camp Hosts are responsible for:

    • Securing a local suitable pool, preferably indoors, with a minimum swim area of 675 square feet in which to conduct our swim program Monday through Friday during normal business hours
    • Ensuring the pool has a trained and certified lifeguard on duty
    • Allowing access to the facility for approximately 5 hours on the Sunday before camp (Adapted Aquatic Instructor training for 4 hours, parent and volunteer orientation and volunteer training for a total of about 90 minutes)
    • Paying a fixed program fee of $7,350, including deposit of $1,500
    • Swim camp accommodates between 3 and 6 swimmers during each of the five daily sessions for between 15 and 30 swimmers in total
    • Hosts have the flexibility to customize the five daily sessions by combining any combination of 45-minute (ages 3 to 7) and 60-minute (ages 8 and above) sessions
    • Providing local lodging for two iCan Swim staff for the week (2 hotel rooms for 7 nights)
    • Establishing a swimmer registration fee to collect from families (used to subsidize the above mentioned program fee) generally ranging from $125 to $175 per swimmer
    • Recruiting and registering local swimmers and volunteers (1 volunteer per swimmer)
    • Planning and administering the daily check-in process
    • Optional – Recruiting 2-4 local instructors certified to teach learn-to-swim programs, preferably with teaching experience. These individuals will be trained and certified by our staff as Adapted Aquatic Instructors during the swim camp in order to continue classes in your local community after the camp week ends

Getting up to speed on becoming an iCan Swim Camp Host:

The most efficient way to understand what is involved in being an iCan Swim Camp host is to:

    • Review our Swim Camp Host Overview document which provides a comprehensive description of our iCan Swim program
    • E-mail Lisa at lisa@icanshine.org to set up a convenient day and time to discuss more details over the phone

Host Documents

In order to make iCan Swim programs efficient and successful, we have developed standardized planning, administrative, marketing, registration and other informational documents. Our goal in doing this is to make hosting one of our iCan Swim programs as stress-free and seamless as possible.

Over the years, we have accumulated a number of best practices on hosting efficient and successful programs and have fine-tuned this process to be reflected in the documentation below readily available to all hosts. As an iCan Swim program host, you will benefit from our many years of determining what works best and therefore avoid having to re-invent the process.

Finally, we work especially close with our new ‘rookie’ hosts to ensure they are completely up to speed and fully supported in the endeavor to plan their first swim program. After hosting their first program, our hosts find that hosting subsequent programs becomes substantially easier.

Considering Being A Host?

  • Online Swim Camp Booking Form

    This is the online form all prospective iCan Swim hosts complete and submit once they secure a venue and have chosen a week to host an iCan Swim program:  Complete and Submit iCan Swim Booking Form

  • Swim Camp Host Overview

    If you're thinking about hosting an iCan Swim camp and want to know what's involved reading this document is the best place to start! This document provides a comprehensive overview of what is entailed in hosting a swim camp covering important items such as program description, swimmer benefits, facility and volunteer requirements, cost, etc...

Planning

  • Swim Camp Host Planning Guide

    If you want to see the big picture as to when and what needs to occur when planning an iCan Swim camp, reading this document is a great place to start! This document provides a timeline of major tasks and how to most efficiently accomplish planning and organizing a successful, efficient and stress-free swim program

  • iCan Swim Camp Funding Guide

    Summary of items and ideas for Hosts to consider when determining how to fund the costs of an iCan Swim camp

  • Swim Camp Budget Template

    Simple and easy-to-use Excel format budget template for Hosts to use in determining the gross and net cost of hosting an iCan Swim camp

Facility

  • Swim Camp Host Facility Checklist

    Checklist of important items iCan Swim Hosts need to consider when searching for and selecting a suitable pool and facility for hosting their iCan Swim program

  • Swim Camp Host Facility Guide

    Summary of important items iCan Swim Hosts need to consider when searching for and selecting a suitable pool and facility for hosting their iCan Swim program

Marketing

Parents

  • Social Story, with pictures

    Social story with pictures, designed to comfort and help set swimmers' expectations for participating in our iCan Swim program.

  • How Swim Parents & Guardians Can Help

    Overview of suggestions for parents and guardians to consider to make the iCan Swim program a positive and successful experience for their swimmer

Swimmers

  • Swimmer Data Spreadsheet

    Summary of pertinent swimmer information Host completes and e-mails to their assigned iCan Swim Instructor 2 weeks prior to camp

  • E-mail Confirmation of Swimmer Registration

    Standard communication sent from Host to families confirming their registration and important details about swim camp

  • Swimmer Daily Check-In Sheet

    Check-in sheet listing all swimmers by session for daily check-in purposes at swim camp

  • Swimmer Registration Form

    Form hosts use to register swimmers for their iCan Swim program including details about the swimmer, program and the swimmer liability release. Alternatively, hosts can establish an online registration process through websites; however, we require all of the information requested on this registration form be included in any online registration platform.

Volunteers

Online Registration

  • Online Registration Overview

    This document, in the form of a 'Digital Notebook', provides iCan Swim hosts with a comprehensive overview of how our online registration process functions, including the following sections (accessed through clicking the tabs along the right side of the Digital Notebook):

    • Narrated Slideshow explaining how our online registration works
    • Sample Swimmer Online Registration Form and related documents
    • Sample Volunteer Online Registration Form and related documents
    • Feature to 'waitlist' registrants after sessions fill-up
    • Feature to close-out registration (for individual or all sessions once capacity is reached)
    • FAQ
    • Printer-friendly capabilities
    • Sign-up link (also presented below for your convenience)
  • Online Registration Host Sign-Up

    If you’re interested in offering an online registration option for your iCan Swim Swimmers and/or Volunteers using the iCan Shine online registration platform (Google Forms) please submit your request using this link.