Water Safety Champion of The Month: Chris Harkness

For many families, swim lessons are seen as a seasonal activity—something for the summer months, a recreational skill rather than a necessity. But for Chris Harkness, President of Streamline Brands, water safety is a year-round priority. With drowning remaining a leading cause of death in young children, Harkness and his team are working to make swim lessons more accessible, improve swim education, and shift the mindset that swimming isn’t just for fun—it’s a lifesaving skill.

As one of the largest swim school operators in the country, Streamline Brands is home to nine trusted brands—including SafeSplash, Swimtastic, Saf-T-Swim, AquaKids, SwimLabs, and Miller Swim School. Under Harkness’ leadership, these schools focus on high-quality instruction, community partnerships, and industry innovation to create better swimmers and safer environments in and around water.

We are proud to recognize Chris Harkness, President of Streamline Brands, as our Water Safety Champion of the Month for March.

A Mission to Save Lives Through Swim Education

Throughout his career, Harkness has focused on growing businesses that make a real impact. His decision to join Streamline Brands was driven by its ability to combine high-quality swim instruction with a focus on drowning prevention, helping more families access life-saving swim lessons.

“One of the biggest challenges is awareness,” he explains. “Many parents don’t realize that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and even among older children, the risk remains significant.”

Education is key to changing this. Harkness is committed to helping parents, schools, and communities understand that learning to swim isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Another major hurdle is accessibility. Many families struggle to find affordable, high-quality swim programs in their area. Streamline Brands is tackling this by expanding its network of swim schools and forming partnerships with community facilities, ensuring more families have access to structured swim lessons.

Removing Barriers to Swim Lessons

Harkness believes that learning to swim should be possible for everyone—regardless of background, ability, or location.

Through franchising and strategic partnerships, Streamline Brands is bringing swim instruction to more communities, offering flexible programs that make it easier for families to enroll.

One area of focus is adaptive aquatics, ensuring that children with special needs receive personalized instruction in a supportive environment. By offering customized lesson formats and flexible scheduling, the organization helps families integrate swim education into their daily lives—because water safety shouldn’t be seasonal.

The Role of Swim Schools in Drowning Prevention

“Swim schools are on the front lines of drowning prevention. Beyond teaching children how to swim, we have a responsibility to educate families about water safety.” Harkness sees these schools as key players in shifting public perception about drowning risks.

To reinforce this message, Streamline Brands launched the S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise—a program designed to hold both parents and swim schools accountable for ensuring children develop real water safety skills.

The S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise: A Commitment to Water Competency

The S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise guarantees that children ages 4 and up in beginner levels will master 10 essential water safety skills within a year. If they haven’t reached this milestone, Streamline Brands will provide up to two additional months of lessons at no extra cost.

This program ensures that children don’t just attend lessons—they develop the skills needed to be safer in and around water. The focus is on self-rescue techniques, floating, safe water entry and exit, and responding in emergencies.

Parental involvement is also a key component. Splash-N-Tell sessions keep families informed of their child’s progress, reinforcing the importance of continued swim education beyond the basics.

Advancing Swim Instruction Through Innovation

While swim instruction is hands-on by nature, technology is making lessons more effective. Streamline Brands integrates progress-tracking apps and video analysis at SwimLabs locations, providing parents with updates on their child’s development and giving swimmers real-time feedback on their technique.

These innovations help swimmers retain skills, build confidence, and keep families engaged in long-term swim education.

Thank You For Making A Difference In Water Safety!

For our Water Safety Champion of the Month Chris Harkness, water safety is more than a business—it’s a responsibility. Through his work, and the work of Streamline Brands, more children will have access to swim lessons, more families will understand the risks of drowning, and swim schools will remain a leading force in water safety education.

If you are making a difference in water safety and drowning prevention or know someone who is, we want to hear your story. 

Please take a moment to share the story on our website for a chance to be nationally recognized as a Water Safety Champion.