The Douglas T. Corbin Aquatics Scholarship Fund

About the Scholarship:

The family of Douglas T. Corbin—a long-time Richmond resident and advocate for children— has established a scholarship fund which aims to support Richmond families, by assisting with cost of swimming lessons for their children and providing aid to individuals training to become lifeguards for the City of Richmond.

The Douglas T. Corbin Aquatics Scholarship Fund, established through the Richmond Community Fund, will partner with the City of Richmond to provide scholarships for swimming students who demonstrate need and stipends for lifeguards in training.

Swimming Lessons

Starting this Winter, the Douglas T. Corbin Aquatics Scholarship Fund will help offset registration costs for swim lessons at both the Richmond Swim Center and the Richmond Plunge. Regular session fees typically range from $48 to $96, depending on the participant’s age and the length of the session. Eligible families may receive up to 50% off per child per session with a yearly maximum of $300 (subject to availability). 

Lifeguard Stipend

Each lifeguard accepted into the program will receive a maximum stipend of $300 per person, which will be awarded at the completion of hiring/training with the commitment to work for the City of Richmond. Lifeguard recruitment efforts will be held in February and March 2026, with the training sessions commencing in April 2026.

Once meeting the Family Income Guidelines on the scholarship form, hopeful Lifeguard applicants must complete the following to obtain the stipend…

1. Apply as a City of Richmond Lifeguard (email Robby_roller@ci.richmond.ca.us upon submission of online application)

2. Setup a pre-LG Certificate Swim Test with the Richmond Aquatics Specialist (Melanie_Bushnell@ci.richmond.ca.us) to assess swim skills

3. Obtain a Lifeguard Certificate from successfully passing either a Richmond Lifeguard Certification course OR a LG Cert course from an outside agency

4. Obtain employment and stay employed for 2 months+ as a City of Richmond Lifeguard

This partnership of the Corbin Family, the Richmond Community Fund, and the City of Richmond advances equitable recreation access, strengthens youth safety, and preserves the legacy of local leadership in community-centered swim education.

Qualifications/Requirements

Swimming Lessons

  • Must be a Richmond Resident
  • Ages 3 to 12 years old
    (A parent/guardian must apply on behalf of the child.)
  • Meets the Income Guidelines on the Low Income Application 

Lifeguard Stipends

  • Must be a Richmond Resident
  • Ages 15 to 18 years old
  • Meets the Income Guidelines on the Low Income Application 
  • Youth must be a graduate from or currently enrolled in an institution working toward a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Enrollment

  1. Enrollment begins December 22, 2025, at 8:30am. Please visit the Community Services-Recreation Registration Website to enroll.
  2. Complete and submit the Low Income Application (English or Spanish) along with supporting documents in-person to the Registration office located at 3230 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA 94804 or via email to CSDRegistration@ci.richmond.ca.us.

    If you have questions or need further assistance, please call (510) 620-6793. Operational hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8:30am to 4:00pm, excluding holidays.
Scholarship Flyer