Thanks to a collaboration between Mill Valley Parks and Recreation and Soma Aquatics, hundreds of free swim lessons have been offered at the Mill Valley Community Center \
The organization’s mission is to provide basic swimming instruction, access to the pool and lifeguards for every member of the community, regardless of socioeconomic status. The non-profit was originally founded in 2011 and has offered programs throughout Marin.
The Mill Valley Community Center Program features free learn-to-swim lessons every Sunday. In addition to a 30 minute lesson, kids are given time at the end of the lesson for free play. While the program originally began with a focus on teaching kids to swim, due to demand, an adult program was launched in 2024.
The Mill Valley Community center provides the pool space and life guards. Elizabeth Oku, Recreation Supervisor for Aquatics & Fitness at the community center, has a full plate of programming for the city but always makes time to support Soma. She continues to be the backbone of support for these young swimmers.
Soma Aquatics provides the swim lesson program and volunteer swim instructors, most of whom are high school students from Tam High, Redwood, Marin Academy and Marin Catholic. Soma Aquatics also provides the training to all volunteer instructors so that each instructor can teach swimmers starting with Bubbles & Bobs and culminating with swim strokes.
More than 200 swimmers have attended the free lessons at the Mill Valley Community Center. The program’s goal is water safety and basic swimming, but a few of program’s graduates have gone on to swim with the Strawberry Seals Swim Team, which is also a major supporter of Soma Aquatics.
“I love the duality of our program,” says Jennifer Morris, a longtime supporter of the program. “Families benefit from the free learn-to-swim lessons, high schoolers benefit from meaningful, hands-on volunteer experience,” noting that the program has one paid Site Supervisor position, which they fill with a high school student. “The paid position is a great opportunity for a high schooler to get leadership experience.”
Soma Aquatics Founder and Executive Director Jeremy Engman states, “We are grateful for the on-going support from the City of Mill Valley and Mill Valley Parks and Recreation. Because of this support, hundreds of local youth are able to safely enjoy the water!”