Aquatics

Swimming & Diving, Lifeguarding, Swimming & Water Safety



Swimming & Water Safety Revision 2009
The American Red Cross is releasing a newly revised and improved Swimming and Water Safety (WSW) program that utilizes and inclusive approach to swimming and water safety and provides an increased emphasis in the areas of drowning prevention and water safety. The program continues the proud tradition of teaching people to swim and be safet in, on and around water. The program includes courses for all age groups and varying abilities, as well as a variety of courses and presentations to help teach all age groups how to enjoy the water safely and how to stay safe in the event of an emergency. Included are new tools, such as newsletters and achievement cards for each level, to assist with better and more proactive communication with participants, parents and caregivers.

The American Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety program consists of the following:
- Water Safety Instructor (WSI) course
- Parent and Child Aquatics (2 levels)
- Preschool Aquatics (3 levels)
- Learn-to-Swim (LTS) (6 levels)
- Longfellow's WHALE Tales
- Water safety presentations
- Basic Water Rescue
- Personal Water Safety
- Safety Training for Swim Coaches

Program highlights include:
- An increased emphasis on water safety and drowning prevention as the basis of swimming and water recreation.
- New placement and distribution of the skills throughout the Learn-to-Swim levels to help reduce bottlenecks and optimize skill acquisition.
- New, up-to-date diving techniques and progressions, including a revised approach and takeoff.
- The most current biomechanics concepts and stroke descriptions.
- Three new swim levels specifically designed for the developmental needs of preschool-aged children so they achieve success at regular intervals.
- New content to help Water Safety instructors imporve their teaching skills and better serve participants of varying ages and abilities, including those with disabilities and other health conditions.
- Newsletters that can be personalized with facility information, designed to provide parents, caregivers and participants with safety information, tips for working on skills between lessons and apprporiate expectations for each level of lessons.
- Completely new WHALE Tales DVD, which features new animation, narration and a WHATLE Tales theme song to support nine of the 11 WHALE Tales lessons.
- Achievement cards for every level - options for both youth and mature audiences.
- Sample block and lesson plans for every level, along with templates for instructors to create their own.

Water Safety Instructor (WSI) Revision Training
ALL current WSI's must re-authorize their certification with the new revisions. All updates must be done at this time online through Instructors Corner.  This training is open to current WSI's and WSIT's. Please call the chapter at (509)783-6195 for more information.

To update, you will need to purchase the new materials, and update via group orientation OR online, self-study. Both methods require you to return a completed and signed orientation verification form to your unit of authorization. When you bring the verification form to your unit of authorization, the chapter issues an Instructor Authorization Certificate (C3005) which indicates Water Safety (r.09) and you may then teach courses in the Swimming and Water Safety (r.09) program.

For additional information, please call the chapter at 783-6195, your local parks and recreation department, or visit www.instructorscorner.org.
 

If you prefer to do the online self-study, you still need to purchase the instructor materials. These can be obtained from the chapter at a cost of $51.95. Materials will not be sold to instructors who do not have their completed orientation verification form.