The History of Infant Swimming Resource
ISR Founder Dr. Harvey Barnett
In 1966, the founder of Infant Swimming Resource, Dr. Harvey Barnett, returned home from his job as a lifeguard to see an ambulance crew putting his infant neighbor in a body bag. He had drowned in a few inches of muck and water at the bottom of a canal.
In response to this tragedy, he offered to teach all of the 5-year old's in the neighborhood to swim. As each child learned to swim, he learned more about how to teach young children. The idea was to work with older children until his skills were well-defined and effective and then move down in age to the next younger group. Barnett learned to teach, listen, observe and be critical.
By the end of the first season, he was working with 3-year old's. He took miles of Super 8 movie film, reviewed these films and made extensive notes. He began communicating with hand signals and verbal directions - a key element of ISR Self-Rescue® today.
After being observed by several faculty members from the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, Barnett began to realize what it would take to get into the realm of aquatic survival for non-verbal infants. He changed his major to Psychology and earned a BA with honors. A local newspaper ran an article about his program and 356 students went onto his waiting list. He had never taught another person to teach his method until tragedy struck. Two babies on the waiting list drowned before he could teach them and the need to teach instructors was born.
At this time, Barnett began training instructors and entered the Graduate School at the University of Florida to where he earned a Masters of Science Degree from the Psychology Department and a Ph.D. from the College of Education. Upon earning his Ph.D., he began teaching courses in special education, instructional theory, computers and statistics, and child psychology at Cleveland State University. Eventually Barnett left the university environment and gave Infant Swimming Resource his full-time attention.
To date, more than 19 million ISR Self-Rescue® lessons have been taught to infants and young children. ISR believes in establishing multiple layers of defense against aquatic accidents, including pool fences, alarms, and active adult supervision. Yet, as the more than 4,000 drowning deaths each year tragically show, even the best traditional safeguards can fail.
At ISR, we believe that the child is the most vital part of any drowning-prevention strategy. Children are naturally curious, capable, and determined. With proper instruction, they can learn to respond confidently and calmly in the water. Our 450,000+ ISR graduates and hundreds of documented survival stories are proof that children can and do save themselves.
Through our commitment to prevention, education, and empowerment, we continue to work toward a world where every child has the opportunity to learn these lifesaving skills, and where no family suffers the heartbreak of a preventable drowning.
In response to this tragedy, he offered to teach all of the 5-year old's in the neighborhood to swim. As each child learned to swim, he learned more about how to teach young children. The idea was to work with older children until his skills were well-defined and effective and then move down in age to the next younger group. Barnett learned to teach, listen, observe and be critical.
By the end of the first season, he was working with 3-year old's. He took miles of Super 8 movie film, reviewed these films and made extensive notes. He began communicating with hand signals and verbal directions - a key element of ISR Self-Rescue® today.
After being observed by several faculty members from the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, Barnett began to realize what it would take to get into the realm of aquatic survival for non-verbal infants. He changed his major to Psychology and earned a BA with honors. A local newspaper ran an article about his program and 356 students went onto his waiting list. He had never taught another person to teach his method until tragedy struck. Two babies on the waiting list drowned before he could teach them and the need to teach instructors was born.
At this time, Barnett began training instructors and entered the Graduate School at the University of Florida to where he earned a Masters of Science Degree from the Psychology Department and a Ph.D. from the College of Education. Upon earning his Ph.D., he began teaching courses in special education, instructional theory, computers and statistics, and child psychology at Cleveland State University. Eventually Barnett left the university environment and gave Infant Swimming Resource his full-time attention.
To date, more than 19 million ISR Self-Rescue® lessons have been taught to infants and young children. ISR believes in establishing multiple layers of defense against aquatic accidents, including pool fences, alarms, and active adult supervision. Yet, as the more than 4,000 drowning deaths each year tragically show, even the best traditional safeguards can fail.
At ISR, we believe that the child is the most vital part of any drowning-prevention strategy. Children are naturally curious, capable, and determined. With proper instruction, they can learn to respond confidently and calmly in the water. Our 450,000+ ISR graduates and hundreds of documented survival stories are proof that children can and do save themselves.
Through our commitment to prevention, education, and empowerment, we continue to work toward a world where every child has the opportunity to learn these lifesaving skills, and where no family suffers the heartbreak of a preventable drowning.
