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Water creates a unique environment where students can 
experience success in new ways.
“If you can go swimming, you can almost do anything in 
terms of community activities,” Hoare added. “It really 
shows that students are capable of a lot more than 
sometimes we give them credit for.” 

Building Relationships and Community
Beyond therapeutic benefits, the program fosters 
connection between students, staff, and schools. 
“The swimming program was not just therapeutic, it 
was also social,” said Willow Gauthier, an educational 
assistant in the division. “It was a highlight of our 
week, and we saw a lot of growth over the course of the 
program. The smiles created from swimming were not 
soon forgotten.”
By organizing sessions by family of schools, students 
connect with peers from different communities. 
“They start to see themselves in other students,” Hoare 
shared. “They gain confidence together.” 
Relationships between students and educational 
assistants also deepen through shared experiences. 
“You’re going to have a tighter bond going through 
something like swimming together than you sometimes 
would working on math sheets in class,” said Hoare.
Following each session, students and staff gather for 
lunch, transforming Aqua Essence’s lobby into a cafeteria. 
“Weʼve built our own little community at the pool,” 
Hoare said. “Students from different schools connect, 
and staff do too.”
The Difference Families Feel
For families, the impact of the program extends beyond 
the pool. 
“Our family was truly blown away by the success of the 
therapeutic swimming program offered this year and felt 
privileged to watch each session,” said Richelle Friesen, 
a parent of a student who participated in the program. 
“The sense of community in the pool was palpable, and 
the pure joy on all the children’s faces was something we 
will never forget. For children who so often do not have 
access to the same activities and experiences as their 
peers, this program was incredibly meaningful.”
Moments like this highlight not only the growth students 
experience, but the meaning it holds for those who 
support them every day. Access to a program like this 
creates opportunities that families may not always be 
able to facilitate on their own, offering students safe, 
supported ways to explore new experiences and 
build confidence.

Expanding Possibilities Beyond the Classroom
The Therapeutic Swim Program is part of a broader commitment 
to helping students access and navigate community spaces with 
confidence.
“We want our students’ worlds to be as big as possible,” Hoare 
emphasized. “If we don’t create these opportunities, those worlds can 
get pretty small.”
Through experiences like swimming, students build skills that extend 
beyond the pool, learning how to participate, regulate, and engage in a 
variety of environments.
“We want students to be able to regulate not just at school, but at 
the pool, at the park, at the grocery store, wherever life takes them,” 
he explained. 
“The Therapeutic Swim Program has had a truly transformative 
impact for one of our students,” said Angela Power, principal of Island 
Lakes Community School. “It has opened doors to experiences beyond 
his daily routines, making his world feel bigger and more accessible. 
At the same time, the program has provided critical physical benefits, 
easing pressure on his body and joints, strengthening his movement 
skills, and supporting more fluid, confident motion. The combination 
of physical relief and expanded opportunity has had a lasting and 
meaningful influence on his overall well-being.”

A Strong Foundation for the Future
This year marked the first iteration of the program in its current, more 
therapeutic and interdisciplinary form, building on earlier versions of 
swimming programming but with a more intentional focus. 
In the process, staff have also experienced meaningful growth.
“Seeing students and what they are capable of in a different 
environment like swimming is quite eye-opening,” Hoare said. 
“Staff go back to their schools with more confidence and a different 
understanding of what is possible.” 
Looking ahead, Hoare and the team are exploring ways to expand 
the program while maintaining the level of support that makes it 
successful.
“We want to keep building on this,” he said. “But we also want to do it 
thoughtfully, based on what we’ve learned.”

A Commitment to Inclusion and Well-being
The Therapeutic Swim Program reflects a commitment to creating 
meaningful, inclusive opportunities for students.
“I think it’s hard to articulate how important this kind of work is,” 
Hoare reflected. “This is about community access. It’s about making 
sure students can participate in the world beyond school.”
By bringing together clinical expertise, instructional support, and 
community partnership, the program supports physical development 
while also fostering confidence, connection, and belonging.
For students, time in the water is more than a therapeutic intervention.
It is a chance to discover what’s possible.

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