Swim Up Hill Foundation and Classroom Champions Join Forces to Transform Student Lives Across Southern California
Nine-month tech-powered partnership to merge athlete mentorship, edtech innovation, and swim education in the lead up to LA28
Los Angeles, California — Two athlete-founded powerhouses are joining forces to change how students in Southern California experience mentorship, character-building, and water safety. The Swim Up Hill Foundation, led by Paralympic medalist Jamal Hill, has partnered with internationally acclaimed nonprofit Classroom Champions for a bold, nine-month initiative bringing immersive programming to 5 to 10 schools across the region, starting Fall 2025.
Swim Up Hill Foundation and Classroom Champions unite to transform student lives across Southern California.
Backed by technology originally funded by global institutions such as the World Health Organization and UNESCO, Classroom Champions will now help deliver Swim Up Hill’s trusted swim curriculum through enhanced digital storytelling, athlete-led video mentorship, and on-site engagement. The collaboration marks a pivotal evolution in Swim Up Hill’s educational infrastructure, blending tech and trust to expand reach and deepen student impact.
“This partnership brings the best of two worlds together, technology and trust,” said Jamal Hill, Founder of Swim Up Hill. “Classroom Champions gives us the tools to mentor at scale, and we bring the water. Together, we are building students who believe they belong, both in school and in the pool.”
From digital lessons to in-person athlete mentorship, the programming will serve at least five schools in Los Angeles County, with as many as ten total activations across Southern California. Each visit will integrate Swim Up Hill’s signature SoCal Swim Project experiences with Classroom Champions’ proven curriculum focused on social-emotional learning and goal setting.
Los Angeles County schools will host Swim Up Hill and Classroom Champions programming in the lead-up to LA28.
This is more than a partnership. It is a blueprint for Olympic legacy, laying a scalable foundation for equity-driven youth engagement as LA28 approaches. “We believe every student deserves a champion, and now they will get one in the water too,” said a Classroom Champions representative. “Jamal Hill and Swim Up Hill share our mission, and we are excited to scale this impact together.”
Key milestones include the official launch in July 2025, followed by school activations running through Spring 2026, curriculum integration with Swim Up Hill’s SoCal Swim Project, and a co-led student storytelling campaign that aligns with the All Roads Lead to LA28 youth legacy framework. With shared values around access, youth development, and athlete storytelling, the collaboration also aims to unlock new joint funding pathways, strengthen school partnerships, and amplify impact through co-branded content campaigns leading into the Olympic cycle.
Supporters can help drive the mission by sponsoring school visits or technology upgrades, featuring the partnership in Olympic or district initiatives, or sharing the story to build a growing movement for equity in both education and swimming.
MEDIA CONTACT:
pr@swimuphill.com
