Stewie the Duck
Meet Stewie the Duck
Stewie the Duck is Water Smart Collier's water safety mascot and an important part of our community's drowning prevention efforts. Through school visits, children's books, educational activities, and community events, Stewie helps teach young children simple, lifesaving water safety lessons in a fun and memorable way.
Teach Water Safety Through Storytelling
Stewie the Duck is the focal point of two children's books:
- Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim
- Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck
Each year, Stewie visits Collier County preschools and VPK programs, helping children learn important water safety lessons through stories, activities, and classroom discussions.
In Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim, children follow the story of Stewie, a young duck who wants to swim with the big ducks but is prevented from going into the water by his older sisters until he learns the water safety rules. Through Stewie's journey, children discover that water can be fun, but only when safety comes first.
Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim received the National Water Safety Youth Education Award from the National Water Safety Congress and continues to be used in water safety education programs across the country.
Stewie's Water Safety Rules
- Don't Jump in Until You Learn to Swim
- Wear a Life Jacket
- A Grown-Up Must Watch You in the Pool
Learn with Stewie at Home
Families can continue reinforcing water safety lessons at home with the Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim app for Apple devices. Children can join Stewie on his journey to learn important water safety rules while building awareness about staying safe in and around water.
Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation
Stew Leonard III
Learn more about the Stew Leonard III WaterSlife story of Stew Leonard III, who tragically drowned at just 21 months old while on vacation with his family. In his memory, his parents, Kim and Stew Leonard, established the Stew Leonard III Children's Charities in 1990 to promote water safety education and drowning prevention.
Since then, the foundation has helped raise millions of dollars to support water safety awareness, lifeguard training, and thousands of free or low-cost swim lessons for children each year. Today, the organization's mission continues to help children grow safely through water safety education and other child-focused initiatives.
Learn more about the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation
Program Support
Stewie's visits to Collier County preschools, schools, and community events are made possible through the support of the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation and our community partners who share our commitment to preventing childhood drowning.
In addition to supporting water safety education efforts, the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation offers swim scholarship opportunities to help children gain access to lifesaving swim lessons and water safety instruction. Families interested in learning more about available swim scholarships are encouraged to explore FLDPF resources.
