VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Be Water Aware is a global initiative started by the World Waterpark Association to raise awareness to the importance of teaching kids and parents how to swim, and was hosted in Virginia Beach by Ocean Breeze Waterpark as part of the world’s largest swimming lesson.

“When I was a child. I actually almost drowned, so I’ve been scared of water ever since then, and I don’t want them to have that same feeling,” said Dominique Adams, a mother of two taking advantage of the free program.

Adams brought her two daughters to learn how to swim, hoping they will not have the same fears of the water she has.

“We cannot swim, and I have a fear of, like, water,” Adams said. “So I want my kids to get a good grounding and feel more comfortable around the water.”

The lessons are taught by the local swim organization, Tide Swimming, with team members in the water working directly with the kids helping them to feel safe in the water by teaching them in a way kids can understand.

“We don’t talk about the body mechanics,” said Amanda Kuller, director of the Tide Swim School. “We talk about things that children can relate to. So instead of talking about proper stroke technique, we’re talking about ice cream scoops and talking about their favorite types of ice cream. We are putting it in their language. So it takes a little bit of the learning out of it and puts a little bit more of the fun into it.”

For sisters Harmony and Havana, their mother, Dominique Adams, hopes the half-hour in the pool will help them be more comfortable and confident around water.

“The water wasn’t that deep, so I was kind of scared because I thought I was going to tilt over and be upside down,” Havana Davis said.

Her mother hopes her kids will absorb the water safety lesson.

“Water safety is very important,” Dominique Adams said. “You hear on the news every day how someone’s child has lost their life. And it’s just the most saddening thing to hear. And I would hate to be a victim of that.”

Event organizers hope to prevent drownings by teaching basic water safety skills to folks of all ages.

They said July consistently ranks as the deadliest month for drowning incidents, with the July 4 holiday being a high-risk period as families gather around pools, lakes and beaches.