Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) was founded in 1966 and is the global leader in the industry of survival swimming lessons for infants and young children.ISR’s survival swimming technique is the product of nearly 60 years of research and development. All ISR lessons are one-on-one and customized to the unique needs and developmental abilities of each child (ages 6 months to 12 years). Lessons are conducted 4 days a week, for about 6–7 weeks, with a maximum lesson time of 10 ten minutes per day. Each child has their own lesson time daily.ISR’s team of highly-trained Certified Instructors provides the safest and most effective survival swimming lessons for children available. Certified ISR Instructors must pass a national background check and successfully complete an extensive academic and in-water training program with a Certified ISR Master Instructor or Senior Master Instructor. They are required to possess active liability insurance and a current CPR/First Aid certification, and they must also complete yearly professional development educational programming to re-certify with ISR.
What will my child learn in ISR lessons?
Roll-Back-to-Float: Lessons for infants at least 6 months of age to about 12 months focus on teaching the child to roll onto their back to float, rest and breathe, and maintain this life-saving position until help arrives.
Swim-Float-Swim: Lessons for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children (12+ months) focus on teaching ISR’s patented swim-float-swim survival sequence. Children learn to swim with their head down, roll onto their back to float, rest and breathe, and flip over to continue swimming. The combination of these skills allows a child to reach safety at the side of the pool or edge of the water where they can either crawl out or be rescued.
What if my child has already completed ISR lessons?
Refresher and Maintenance lessons: Refresher lessons are for students who have recently completed the ISR program and usually last 2–3 weeks. As children grow, their skills will need to be adjusted to match their new height, weight, and strength. The frequency of refresher lessons depends on the child’s age, growth rate, skill level, and confidence level, but are recommended about every six months as your child hits new developmental milestones.Maintenance lessons allow Happy Valley ISR’s already skilled students to come back once or twice a month to maintain and refine their skills in the water on a more regular basis.
Michael Stahl is a Certified ISR Instructor and current resident of State College, PA, where he lives with his wife, Caroline, and daughter, Annie, and works as a professor at Penn State.Michael received his ISR Instructor certification in the summer of 2025 in Charlotte, NC, where he trained under two Senior Master Instructors with over 45 years of combined ISR teaching experience. He is also certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED through the American Red Cross.Michael’s longstanding love of the water and deep concern for child safety motivate Happy Valley ISR’s mission to provide the safest and most effective survival swimming lessons for children in the State College community and surrounding areas.
Site: Heated indoor pool at the Ramada by Wyndham State College Hotel & Conference CenterAddress: 1450 S. Atherton St., State College, PA 16801
Happy Valley ISR is proud to partner with Ramada by Wyndham State College Hotel & Conference Center to offer the Ramada by Wyndham State College Scholarship, which provides 50% off tuition for one student in the community with financial need each session!
Future Sessions
Summer 2026 Session 2
Session dates and times for Summer 2026 Session 2 will be announced soon!
Fall 2026 Session 1
Session dates and times for Fall 2026 Session 1 will be announced soon!
Thank you for your interest in Happy Valley ISR! The first step in the registration process is to schedule an introductory call with the Instructor. Please read the following information about the program before scheduling your call.
Happy Valley ISR Program Overview
Each session runs for 6–7 weeks, with additional days reserved for make-up lessons
Students must attend lessons 4 times a week (Monday–Thursday), at the same time slot each day
Each lesson is 10 minutes long (max) in the water to prevent fatigue, maximize learning, and keep your child safe
Pricing, Promotions, Financial Aid
ISR Registration Fee (non-refundable): $105 (registration with ISR is required to screen the health and safety of your child for ISR lessons and ensure that they are covered by Happy Valley ISR’s liability insurance)
Tuition: $135/week
Referrals: $50 off lessons for you and $50 off lessons for whomever you refer
Sibling Discount: 10% off when you enroll siblings in the same session
Financial Aid: Ramada by Wyndham State College Scholarship (50% off tuition for one student in financial need each session); Live Like Jake scholarships (need based)
*Traditional Payment Plan: $50% deposit (non-refundable) at time of booking; $50% balance due by time of first lesson
Refresher Lessons: $275 for two weeks, $375 for 3 weeks
Maintenance Lessons: $25/lesson
*Flexible payment plan options available on request
Introductory Call
Select a time below on Michael’s calendar to schedule your introductory call about registering for ISR Self-Rescue lessons with Happy Valley ISR!
Repetition and consistency are crucial elements in sensorimotor learning for young children. Research shows that short, frequent lessons result in higher skill retention. Additionally, shorter lessons are safer, and safety is a top priority in all ISR lessons. While ISR safety protocols require the pool temperature to be maintained between 78–88 degrees, the water temperature is still lower than your child’s body temperature. ISR Instructors therefore check students regularly during lessons for temperature fatigue, which is an indicator of physical fatigue.
ISR’s 6-week session length is based on the average time it takes most children to learn swimming and aquatic survival skills. Every child is unique, and ISR’s Self-Rescue® program is specifically tailored to each child’s individual strengths and needs. ISR is dedicated to safety and, therefore, aims to provide your child with sufficient time and the best opportunity to become proficient in their swimming and aquatic survival skills.
No, these are not group lessons. Every lesson with ISR is one-on-one and individualized for each student. This means we never have more than one student in the water at a time and keep a 1:1 student to Instructor ratio.
Yes, to the best of their developmental abilities! ISR believes that part of survival for a child who can crawl or walk is swimming. Infants learn the Roll-Back-to-Float sequence and toddlers and children learn the Swim-Float-Swim sequence. The difference in ISR’s program is that children learn swimming *and* survival skills—that is, they learn how to be an aquatic problem solver. At a minimum, your child will learn to roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe and to maintain this position until help arrives.
Research indicates that refresher lessons are important because children change so much, both cognitively and physically, during the first 0–5 years of life. It is therefore important that their water survival skills grow with their developing bodies. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust their new body size and weight to their existing skill level. The frequency of refresher lessons depends on the child’s age, growth rate, skill level, and confidence level. ISR instructors work with your child individually to help fine-tune their aquatic experience.
Around 85% of children who accidentally fall into the water do so fully clothed. If you have ever jumped into the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel wearing clothes as opposed to a bathing suit. ISR therefore wants its students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, they are less likely to experience panic and more able to focus on self-rescue.
Yes! Your child’s health and well-being are ISR’s highest priority. ISR Instructors maintain numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons at all times. Additionally, ISR’s Registration Evaluation Team (RET)—comprised of ISR certified pediatric nurses—will review your child’s medical and developmental history as a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process (all medical information is held strictly confidential). All ISR Instructors also undergo intensive and rigorous training and are required to be re-certified yearly to ensure quality control as well as safety and lesson efficiency. Parent education in the area of aquatic safety is an integral part of ISR lessons too. You will receive access to the *Parent Resource Guide* to inform you about every aspect of swimming and aquatic safety for infants and children. In short, you will discover that ISR is not only the most effective program for teaching infants and young children how to swim, but also the safest survival swimming program.
ISR instructors teach infants and young children to swim by honoring each child’s individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development, and sensorimotor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills. ISR instructors use this education to guide each child on an individual level through the sequence of learning to swim and float.
Unfortunately, babies and young children cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there would not be so many accidental drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1–4 in the United States.
No! While parents do not participate in the water during lessons, you are the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child. Additionally, parents are invited into the pool for one or two lessons during the last week of the session. During this time you will learn how to maintain your child’s new skills while in the water and how to properly promote their ISR Self-Rescue® skills.
Young children often fuss during the first few lessons because they are being asked to do a hard thing, in a new environment, with a new person. However, as children become more confident in their abilities in the water, their fussing usually decreases and may even be replaced by enthusiasm, clapping, and laughter.
No! There is an important difference between true fear, on the one hand, and apprehensiveness because one is not yet skilled in a new environment, on the other. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons: it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming and aquatic problem solving. Sometimes as a parent, you must make choices for your child’s safety—like putting them in a car seat—because you know they are necessary and important. The same can be said for ISR. Once competent in their aquatic skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool—they are simply having too much FUN!
Repetition and consistency are crucial elements in sensorimotor learning for young children. Research shows that short, frequent lessons result in higher skill retention. Additionally, shorter lessons are safer, and safety is a top priority in all ISR lessons. While ISR safety protocols require the pool temperature to be maintained between 78–88 degrees, the water temperature is still lower than your child’s body temperature. ISR Instructors therefore check students regularly during lessons for temperature fatigue, which is an indicator of physical fatigue.
ISR’s 6-week session length is based on the average time it takes most children to learn swimming and aquatic survival skills. Every child is unique, and ISR’s Self-Rescue® program is specifically tailored to each child’s individual strengths and needs. ISR is dedicated to safety and, therefore, aims to provide your child with sufficient time and the best opportunity to become proficient in their swimming and aquatic survival skills.
No, these are not group lessons. Every lesson with ISR is one-on-one and individualized for each student. This means we never have more than one student in the water at a time and keep a 1:1 student to Instructor ratio.
Yes, to the best of their developmental abilities! ISR believes that part of survival for a child who can crawl or walk is swimming. Infants learn the Roll-Back-to-Float sequence and toddlers and children learn the Swim-Float-Swim sequence. The difference in ISR’s program is that children learn swimming *and* survival skills—that is, they learn how to be an aquatic problem solver. At a minimum, your child will learn to roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe and to maintain this position until help arrives.
Research indicates that refresher lessons are important because children change so much, both cognitively and physically, during the first 0–5 years of life. It is therefore important that their water survival skills grow with their developing bodies. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust their new body size and weight to their existing skill level. The frequency of refresher lessons depends on the child’s age, growth rate, skill level, and confidence level. ISR instructors work with your child individually to help fine-tune their aquatic experience.
Around 85% of children who accidentally fall into the water do so fully clothed. If you have ever jumped into the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel wearing clothes as opposed to a bathing suit. ISR therefore wants its students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, they are less likely to experience panic and more able to focus on self-rescue.
Yes! Your child’s health and well-being are ISR’s highest priority. ISR Instructors maintain numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons at all times. Additionally, ISR’s Registration Evaluation Team (RET)—comprised of ISR certified pediatric nurses—will review your child’s medical and developmental history as a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process (all medical information is held strictly confidential). All ISR Instructors also undergo intensive and rigorous training and are required to be re-certified yearly to ensure quality control as well as safety and lesson efficiency. Parent education in the area of aquatic safety is an integral part of ISR lessons too. You will receive access to the *Parent Resource Guide* to inform you about every aspect of swimming and aquatic safety for infants and children. In short, you will discover that ISR is not only the most effective program for teaching infants and young children how to swim, but also the safest survival swimming program.
ISR instructors teach infants and young children to swim by honoring each child’s individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development, and sensorimotor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills. ISR instructors use this education to guide each child on an individual level through the sequence of learning to swim and float.
Unfortunately, babies and young children cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there would not be so many accidental drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1–4 in the United States.
No! While parents do not participate in the water during lessons, you are the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child. Additionally, parents are invited into the pool for one or two lessons during the last week of the session. During this time you will learn how to maintain your child’s new skills while in the water and how to properly promote their ISR Self-Rescue® skills.
Young children often fuss during the first few lessons because they are being asked to do a hard thing, in a new environment, with a new person. However, as children become more confident in their abilities in the water, their fussing usually decreases and may even be replaced by enthusiasm, clapping, and laughter.
No! There is an important difference between true fear, on the one hand, and apprehensiveness because one is not yet skilled in a new environment, on the other. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons: it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming and aquatic problem solving. Sometimes as a parent, you must make choices for your child’s safety—like putting them in a car seat—because you know they are necessary and important. The same can be said for ISR. Once competent in their aquatic skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool—they are simply having too much FUN!
See what Happy Valley ISR parents are saying on Google Reviews or click the names of the reviewers below!
We had an incredible experience with Happy Valley ISR Swim Lessons. Both my 2- and 3-year-olds completed lessons with Michael, and I truly can’t say enough good things about our experience. He was amazing to work with and even more impressive to watch in action. Michael was incredibly patient with each of my kids and met them exactly where they were in terms of development and skill level. It was honestly amazing to see how much both of them learned and mastered in just six weeks. My kids still frequently talk about their “friend Michael” and ask when they’ll get to have swim lessons with him again. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about the commitment of attending lessons every weeknight for the full six weeks—but after watching the lessons unfold, it became crystal clear just how vital that consistency is for mastering these life-saving skills. The progress and confidence my kids gained made every single trip worth it. These lessons are an absolute no-brainer, especially for families who have access to a pool or any body of water. We are so grateful for this experience and HIGHLY recommend Happy Valley ISR to any parent considering swim lessons for their little ones!
Our three year old twins did the Fall session with Mr. Michael and learned so much. My husband was truly skeptical at first but by the end of the first week he admitted putting them in ISR was a great choice after all. Not only did our girls learn how to help themselves in the water, but they gained so much confidence as well. The girls got so excited everyday to go to “swim” and see what Michael would have them do. Michael is very patient and truly works with the needs of the individual. Seeing how differently each child learned and how Michael adapted truly showed how much he cared.
We had an amazing experience with Happy Valley ISR. Our adventurous 2 year old was able to learn invaluable life-saving swim skills in just 6 short weeks. Michael was not only an excellent instructor, but gentle, kind and patient with each child as well. My son looked forward to his swim lessons every day and is already excited for a refresher in the spring! Highly recommend swim lessons with Michael to anyone considering this!
We are incredibly grateful for Michael and Happy Valley ISR. Our son started this journey hesitant and nervous but developed into a confident and competent swimmer with life-saving skills. Michael was patient, kind and compassionate as our son learned self-rescue skills. This is such an important service for our community, and we are so happy that we chose Happy Valley ISR!
Michael is extremely talented, patient, caring, and dedicated to the work he does with these young students! I am blown away by the skills our daughter was able to learn in just 6 weeks. I can never put a price on the peace of mind that comes with knowing that our daughter could save her life if she encountered water without an adult supervising.
We had a wonderful experience with Michael Stahl at Happy Valley ISR. Both of my children (22 months and 4 years old) took lessons with him, and I couldn’t be more grateful for his skill and patience. My older child absolutely loved the lessons and confidently learned swim–float–swim. My youngest, on the other hand, is very strong-willed and fought Michael pretty much every single lesson — and he handled it with incredible calm, consistency, and professionalism. She definitely didn’t make it easy for him, yet he was still able to teach her how to float safely from a variety of situations. Michael’s patience, expertise, and commitment to each child really stood out, and I would highly recommend him to any family looking for quality ISR instruction.
I highly recommend Happy Valley ISR and instructor, Michael Stahl. My eighteen month old successfully learned how to float from a variety of presentations in the water; the first steps in saving herself in the water. Michael was extremely patient and kind with me as a parent. He consistently explained the lesson and skill buildups, tailored his instruction to my daughter’s needs, and always made himself available to answer my questions. My daughter’s lessons also involved swimming in different clothing, including full winter attire, to further solidify her skills and confidence in saving herself in the event of an accidental fall into water. As my daughter grows and develops, I am looking forward to returning to Happy Valley ISR with Michael Stahl for a refresher course. Michael will continue to build my daughter’s life saving water skills by teaching her the next steps of float, swim, float. If you are interested in giving your child the necessary, longterm skills to save themself in the water, please contact Michael Stahl at Happy Valley ISR.
Parent Form
If you are the parent or guardian of a child who recently completed the Happy Vally ISR program, please use the form below to submit your testimonial.
Happy Vally ISR is proud to partner with local businesses and non-profits to ensure that all children in Happy Valley can have the opportunity to take ISR Self-Rescue lessons.If you are a member of the local community and interested in establishing a scholarship to increase access to ISR Self-Rescue lessons for children in State College and surrounding areas, please contact us here.
Ramada by Wyndham State College Scholarship
The Ramada by Wyndham State College Scholarship provides 50% off tuition for one student in the community with financial need each session.
Live Like Jake Scholarship
The mission of the Live Like Jake Foundation is to raise awareness for childhood drowning prevention and provide scholarships for ISR Self-Rescue swim lessons to families that cannot afford them. Please visit Live Like Jake to see if you qualify for this need-based scholarship.
