About ISR
ISR is the safest and ONLY provider of comprehensive swimming and aquatic self-rescue™ instruction. The method of clinically researched instruction emphasizes developmentally-appropriate skills training to ensure that your child is learning self-rescue skills and developing the competence required to enjoy the water. Integrated into the skills training of infants and young children is the ISR Parent Education program that seeks to enable the parents and caretakers to understand drowning prevention methods and thereby, safeguard their child’s aquatic environment. Details and videos about what children will learn in ISR lessons.
KUCB Interview
On Thursday, August 18, 2022, Deb Pyrek and Sara Olson discussed live with Vic on KUCB morning radio about the infant swimming program and efforts to help make the lessons more inclusive.
Unalaska Session Dates
August 22, 2022 to
September 14, 2022
What are the age limits?
ISR Lessons are available to infants and young children 6 months (able to seat independently) to 6+ years old. See our Registration PDF for more details.
How much does the 20 one-on-one lessons cost?
Session fees are $800 per child. A 25% deposit ($200) is to reserve your child’s spot in this session. The balance ($600) is due at the first lesson on Monday August 22nd. There is a separate ISR registration fee of $105. This fee covers the cost of the ISR registration evaluation team (RET) to complete a medical review of your child’s application to ensure the safest lesson for your child.
We have reached out to the community for sponsors to reduce the cost per child. Please contact your employer and notify them of your interest to encourage them to contribute. Sponsor Flyer
If you are interested in the lessons, but need assistance please still register, but indicate you will need assistance. We plan to combine donation monies to help reduce costs for everyone. As donations come in we hope to add more children.
How often, how long, and when are lessons?
Sessions will run from Monday August 22, 2022, through Wednesday, September 14, 2022. Classes will be held Monday through Saturday, excluding the Labor Day weekend (no lessons Saturday through Monday 9/3 9/5). Each student will have an assigned private lesson scheduled in 15-minute increments Monday through Friday between 4:00 – 5:45 PM and Saturday between 4:00-5:45 PM. As we gain more sponsors we may open up more time windows, as well as possibly including time during lunch.
See our Registration PDF for more details.
What skills will the instructor focus on?
· Infants (6 months to 12+ months old) will learn to hold their breath underwater, roll onto their back and float unassisted.
· Children (1 year to 6+ years old) learn the following sequence: how to hold their breath underwater; swim with their head down and eyes open; roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe; and roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool and can crawl out or be rescued by an adult.
· Since statistics show that 83% of all children who drown are fully clothed at the time, 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 both light and heavy clothing.
· Unalaska session will focus on breath control, rollback and floating skills for all students.
See our Registration PDF for more details.
Can we test my child's life vest?
Yes, it is recommended that if you boat or your child is using a life vest on the fourth week to bring the life vest to test the effectiveness.
My child has special needs, can they participate?
Many children with special needs are able to safely and successfully participate in ISR lessons. Yes, you may register a child with special needs. ISR’s Registration Evaluation Team (RET) will review the registration information and provide guidance regarding ISR lessons for children with special needs.
What is the retention rate with ISR lessons?
ISR claims a retention rate of 94-100% up to one year following lessons. Having said this, children will explore and may pick up bad habits watching other children or with interference like floating in a bathtub or playing on the steps. As your child goes through lessons, you will begin to understand, through communication with your Instructor, what activities may interfere with his/her learned Self-Rescue skills. Contacting and/or returning to your instructor in a timely manner is imperative to maintaining e!ective habits.
Do you have children that just can’t learn the skills?
No. Every child can learn. It is the Instructor’s job to find the best way to communicate the information so that it makes sense to the child. We set your child up to be successful every time. We start where they are. The number of lessons required to master ISR self rescue skills varies by child.
Please complete for each child you would like to enroll.
Deb Pyrek, ISR Instructor
I learned about ISR when my boys were young. Living on an island, we are always near water. I wanted to make sure my children had the skills to survive just in case they ever found their way to the water alone. After taking my first-born toddler to various swimming lessons in several different programs for over 2 years, he still could not swim. I searched for a better swimming program for young children that would teach my boys real survival skills. That’s when I found ISR. I knew this was exactly what I had been searching for, however, there were no ISR instructors in Hawaii at that time (2007).
We needed ISR in Hawaii, for my own boys and for all the children here. I made the decision to leave my corporate CIO position and commit to the intensive training to become a certified ISR instructor. I’ve been teaching ISR ever since. It is incredibly rewarding to help babies and children learn to swim and float so they can enjoy the water safely with their families and save themselves if they ever find their way to the water alone. This is not a substitute for constant uninterrupted supervision of children near the water. It is an extra layer of protection, just in case.
ISR offers one-of-a-kind self-rescue swimming lessons. We also educate families and communities about water safety. The sooner, the safer, so that not one more child drowns.
What Families
Are Saying
SPONSOR A CHILD
Parents of Unalaska have joined together to fly an ISR instructor from Oahu, Hawaii to Unalaska.
Thus far we have received donations for housing (TZ Engineering), transportation (North Port Rental), pool passes (City of Unalaska), Alaska Air miles and RAVN donated a round trip ticket. Costs per one child have been reduced to $200/a week for 4 weeks and a health assessment of $105 totaling $905.
Your sponsorship will help lower the costs for parents participating in the lessons and help make lessons available to more children of Unalaska. Anything you could contribute would be so much appreciated! 😊
Shout out, and a big Thank You, to Unisea and OptimERA for donating $905 each!
Additionally, we are holding a silent auction at the Heart of Aleutians Festival. If you would like to donate please call Sara 907-359-4604.
Why fly someone from Hawaii?
When looking for an instructor, no one along the west coast was willing to travel. We thought Hawaii would be more open and comfortable traveling to another island. We were right. Deb has been very flexible with travel accommodations and knows the prices and limitations of Unalaska groceries and internet connectivity.
Are donation accepted other than PayPal or Venmo?
Yes, please reach out directly to Deb at 808-542-7074
Is this a one time event?
Yes and no. Yes, this will be the first and last time we have a plan to import someone for lessons. However, we are hoping with enough community involvement and interest; we will have the information to request a grant to possibly send our local pool manager for training. Having a local ISR instructor would help make child self-rescue permanent in our community.
Are there any flyers to post?
Yes. We have two flyers one for participants and one for sponsors. Please feel free to print and hang either or both flyers.
