Stewie the Duck Swim School Opening in Clifton This November

A new swim center teaching water safety to children plans to open its doors in Clifton, New Jersey, in late November. The 9,300-square-foot Stewie the Duck Swim School sits beside Stew Leonard’s market at Styertowne Shopping Center.

Inside, swimmers find a warm 4-foot pool with crystal-clear water. The building has private changing spaces and family restrooms. Special lifts make the pool easy to use for everyone, while advanced filters keep the water clean.

Each teacher holds Red Cross certificates in both lifeguarding and swim instruction. Classes match Red Cross standards, starting with baby-parent swimming and going up to competitive training.

This school grows from deep roots of caring. CEO Stew Leonard Jr. and his wife Kim started the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation after losing their toddler to drowning in 1989. Since then, they’ve raised over $6 million to teach kids about water safety.

“Saving lives, one lesson at a time” drives their work forward. This marks their second location, following the success of their first school in Norwalk, Connecticut.

New Jersey’s 2025 budget provided $300,000 to support the project. The swim school takes over where Lucille Roberts Health Club once stood.

Foundation director Ryann Leonard says they’ll now teach up to 2,000 children weekly, double their previous reach. The school puts every dollar earned back into free swim lessons and lifeguard training across America.

Kids will spot farm scenes from Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim throughout the building, including a moving robot duck. The public can visit during open houses on Nov. 22 and 23, from noon until 5 p.m.

Early sign-ups receive two free classes. This swim school adds to Stew Leonard’s growth in New Jersey, which started in Paramus four years ago and expanded to Clifton last year.

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