--- title: "Big Blue Swim School is Opening in Wayne, Kicking Off Grand Opening Celebrations with Fun Family Activities" url: https://burnaze.com/article/cbee77ce-4af1-4e27-aa9e-85d82b109a7e source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260707_big_blue_swim_school_is_opening_in_wayne_kicking_off_grand_opening_celebrat.html category: "Swim" industry: "Education & Childcare" segment: "Swim" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-07-07T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:30.743Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/bigblueswimschool.jpg --- # Big Blue Swim School is Opening in Wayne, Kicking Off Grand Opening Celebrations with Fun Family Activities **TL;DR:** Big Blue Swim School has announced the grand opening of its new location in Wayne, New Jersey, with a Family Fun Day event in June. The school, owned and operated by the Shree Group, offers a specialized curriculum and individualized instruction for children ages three months to 12 years. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-07-07. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260707_big_blue_swim_school_is_opening_in_wayne_kicking_off_grand_opening_celebrat.html).* ## Story To celebrate its arrival in the community, Big Blue Wayne hosted a Family Fun Day in June. The business invited local families to enjoy a morning filled with kids’ activities and interactive games, food vendors and refreshments, prize giveaways, a chance to meet the team and get an early look at the swim school program ahead of opening day. “Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where children feel confident in the water and parents feel supported throughout the entire process, and we’re thrilled to share that experience with families in Wayne very soon,” said Manan Shah, co-owner of Big Blue Swim School in Wayne. “Having spent years working with families through childcare and community-focused businesses, we understand how important it is to build trust. Big Blue’s structured curriculum and individualized instruction allow each child to progress at their own pace while giving parents clear visibility into their development.” Owned and operated by the Shree Group, a local multi-unit business ownership team with more than 30 years of experience across childcare and franchise operations, the new pool brings Big Blue’s Olympian-backed swim curriculum to families throughout Northern New Jersey. The business is led by Manan Shah, with Regional Manager Shereena Nucum, General Manager Yesenia Barias and Assistant Manager Dawin overseeing day-to-day operations and community engagement. Located at Plaza Square on Hamburg Turnpike, the new swim school facility features a top-of-the-line buildout and an eight-lane pool designed with young swimmers and their families in mind. The space is intended to feel approachable and easy to navigate, giving families a comfortable environment from their first visit. “Big Blue Swim School has always been about helping kids build confidence in the water while learning a skill that can last a lifetime,” said Chris DeJong, Founder and President of Big Blue Swim School. “We’re thrilled to welcome the Wayne team to the Big Blue community. Their background working with families and their commitment to creating a positive experience for parents and kids make them a great fit for our brand and the Wayne community.” Big Blue Swim School offers a specialized curriculum written by Olympian Tom Dolan and former American record holder Chris DeJong, focused on individualized learning in a calm, supportive environment. Lessons are available for children ages three months to 12 years and are structured across four progressive levels—Baby Blue, Bright Blue, Bold Blue and Big Blue—with carefully designed class ratios to balance skill development and personalized attention. Big Blue Swim School was founded with the belief that learning to swim is about more than just safety, it’s about building confidence, bravery and lifelong skills. At the helm is president, founder and U.S. National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong, and President of Corporate Pools Tom Dolan, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and silver medalist. Focused on specialized, learn-at-your-own-pace curriculum, Big Blue offers individualized instruction in a calm, supportive environment designed for children at every swim level. With highly trained instructors and a strong focus on family experience, Big Blue Swim School provides a premium approach to swim education that helps kids grow both in and out of the water, while supporting parents with flexible lesson options that fit into busy schedules. The school stands behind its Progress Promise, which guarantees that if a student does not advance to the next level within 24 lessons, additional lessons are provided at no cost until they do. Founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong and backed by Level 5 Capital Partners, Big Blue Swim School is one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises. The brand offers best-in-class swim lessons for children ages three months to 12 years, combining strong consumer demand with robust franchisee support. With 52 pools open nationwide and more than 250 units in development, Big Blue supports franchise partners at every stage, from real estate selection to marketing and operations, to drive long-term success. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - location expansion (topic) - grand opening (topic) - Education (sector) - franchise operations (topic) - Big Blue Swim School (company) - Chris DeJong (person) - Level 5 Capital Partners (investor) - Level 5 Capital Partners investment in Big Blue Swim School (deal) - swim education (topic) - Tom Dolan (person) - Wayne (location) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260707_big_blue_swim_school_is_opening_in_wayne_kicking_off_grand_opening_celebrat.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/cbee77ce-4af1-4e27-aa9e-85d82b109a7e).