Swim Up Hill and California Science Center Launch First-Ever Virtual Swim Education Experience in New LA84-Funded Exhibit
Led by Paralympic Medalist and CEO Jamal Hill, the initiative aims to transform lives nationwide through swimming, job creation, and health equity
LOS ANGELES, CA — Swim Up Hill, the purpose-driven nonprofit redefining access to swim education, has partnered with the California Science Center to launch a virtual swim simulator inside the new GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play exhibit. This interactive experience, now open to the public, is the first large-scale museum installation to teach water safety using immersive technology.
The simulator, which debuted on May 15th, features Paralympic medalist and Swim Up Hill founder Jamal Hill guiding guests through essential swim techniques like treading, streamlining, and sprint-style racing. The experience is fully virtual and designed to meet people where they are, making swimming feel possible even for those who’ve never been in the water.
“For so many families, this exhibit is their very first swim lesson—and they’re taking it with me. That’s a dream come true. We’re redefining access and proving that water safety starts with visibility and engagement,” said Jamal Hill, Founder and CEO of Swim Up Hill.
This activation marks a breakthrough, bringing foundational swim education into a setting where many visitors, particularly youth, have never set foot in a pool. Backed by the LA84 Foundation and the Dodgers Foundation, it blends Olympic legacy, play equity, and innovation as Los Angeles counts down to the LA28 Games.
Over its three-year residency, the exhibit is projected to introduce water-safety fundamentals to millions of visitors. Each simulation welcomes two guests at a time, and in its first month alone, hundreds of children have already received their first swim lesson virtually.
“We’re proud to partner with Swim Up Hill to bring swimming into this exhibit in such an innovative, empowering way,” said a representative from the California Science Center. “This is about sparking lifelong confidence.”
Jamal Hill stands beside the Swim Up Hill display at the California Science Center exhibit, spotlighting a legacy focused on removing barriers and expanding life-saving swim education in underserved communities.
Museum Meets Mission
Swim Up Hill is expanding the very definition of where swim education begins. What started in the water now lives in public spaces, community galleries, and museum floors, creating access where it has never existed before. This work doesn’t just teach new skills: it reshapes how entire communities view water, safety, and opportunity.
At the California Science Center, families step into this interactive gallery that feels welcoming and leave with foundational skills they can carry into real-life lessons. For many, it’s the first time they’ve received any form of structured swim instruction, delivered in a space that makes it feel possible. By expanding access in this way, Swim Up Hill moves closer to its goal of teaching one million people to swim annually by 2028 through solutions that are both scalable and personal.
This exhibit is just one part of a broader movement. Across the country, Swim Up Hill is leading water safety activations that meet communities where they are, whether in museums, schools, or public events. Led by Paralympian Jamal Hill, these efforts are building deeper relationships with Olympic legacy partners and creating momentum toward a more inclusive future in and around the water, as Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world for the LA28 Games.
Jamal Hill celebrates with students at the California Science Center’s GAME ON! exhibit after trying the virtual swim simulator for the first time.
Opportunities for Funders and Partners
Swim Up Hill invites aligned partners to help scale the impact of this exhibit and the programs connected to it.
Ways to engage:
Sponsor classroom visits to the exhibit
Fund real-life swim programs that follow the virtual experience
Collaborate on future museum activations and educational technology installations
These partnerships are essential to strengthening relationships with local communities and ensuring that every child, no matter their background, can take their first steps toward water safety, confidence, and opportunity.
To contribute or learn more, visit www.swimuphill.org/social-impact.
MEDIA CONTACT:
pr@swimuphill.org
