Mission Statement

A non-profit foundation encouraging healthier living through
aquatic education and research

The National Swimming Pool Foundation^® (NSPF^®), founded in 1965, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving public health worldwide by attracting more people to safer aquatic environments. NSPF^® is committed to improving public health by encouraging healthier living through aquatic education and research. The NSPF^® is the leading educator for pool and spa professionals who service and operate public and private pools and spas and for public health officials who are responsible for pool safety.

The Foundation works toward its mission with educational products like Certified Pool/Spa Operator^® certification training, the Pool Math™ Workbook, the Aquatic Safety Compendium™, eProAcademy™ Online Training Center, and the World Aquatic Health™ Conference. The NSPF^® Certified Pool/Spa Operator^® certification program is the leading international education and certification program for pool and spa operators and health officials protecting the public from illness and injury. The NSPF^® has certified over 200,000 pool operators to date. In 2006 alone, about 20,000 people were trained.

The NSPF^® is the leader funding grants to prevent illness, injury and drowning, including a grant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce recreational water illness. In addition, the NSPF is funding a study by the American Red Cross, YMCA, and US Lifesaving to understand the science behind drowning prevention at guarded facilities. The NSPF funds grants to help reduce risk at aquatic facilities and has also funded the CDC's Healthy Swimming Project for three consecutive years.

For over 30 years the NSPF^® has funded important and recognized research to understand and ultimately prevent suction entrapment. The NSPF^® board of directors approved a $650,000 grant budget in 2006, a 30% increase over 2005, and $812,500 in 2007. The NSPF^® has made donations to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and many other organizations.

The NSPF^® organizes the leading scientific conference to prevent aquatic injury, illness, and drowning, the World Aquatic Health™ Conference. Now in its fourth year, over 35 seminars are presented by 33 leading scientists at the two-day conference where attendees and presenters share in a global exchange of knowledge. These seminars are available online following the conference. allowing the NSPF^® to educate more people who will help us carry out our mission.

The Foundation is the largest funding source for grants to study aquatic health benefits having allocated $247,000 to Dr. Bruce Becker at Washington State University to study the benefits of deep water exercise. Additionally, the NSPF^® has approved matching grant funds for Dr. Becker to study the cardiac health benefits of immersion in hot tubs over the next two years.

The NSPF^® has partnered with Human Kinetics in its launch of the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education (IJARE), a respected source for research and educational information. To ensure easy access to information, the quarterly peer-reviewed, scholarly journal is available in print and electronic format.

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