Water Safety Instructor
The Water Safety Instructor (Commonly referred to as WSI) program is an aquatics program, specific to swim instructing, regulated and certified primarily through the Canadian Red Cross.[1] It is also recognized by the American Red Cross.[2]
Water Safety Instructor certification focuses on preparing candidates to teach the Red Cross Swim programs, it teaches candidates to introduce and develop fitness activities, skills and water safety and swimming skills in several Red Cross programs. The WSI course is recognized by the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP),[3] Swimming Canada[4][5] and the Coaching Association of Canada. To become a lifeguard in Canada, some employers require you also hold certification as a Water Safety Instructor.
Programs
Water Safety Instructors are certified to teach the following programs:
- Red Cross Swim Preschool
- Red Cross Swim Kids
- Red Cross Swim @ School
- Red Cross Swim @ Camp
- Red Cross Swim for Adults & Teens
- Red Cross Swim Adapted
Prerequisites
The Red Cross requires WSI candidates meet the following requirements before attempting the course:
- 15 years of age or older.
- Red Cross Swim Kids 10 strokes and skills, or equivalent.
- One of the following certifications (in expired or current order):
- Red Cross Assistant Lifeguard
- Emergency First Aid
- Bronze Cross or equivalent
Instructor Development Program
Before January 2016, the Red Cross required students to complete the Red Cross Assistant Water Safety Instructor (AWSI) course prior to attempting the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course.[6] Currently, the course structure is broken down into four course component. [1]
WSI Skills Evaluation
WSI candidates must be able to demonstrate water safety skills, strokes and emergency response skills that meet or are equivalent to Red Cross Skim Kids 10 standards. WSI Skills Evaluation can be completed before, during or after the WSI Online or WSI Teaching Experience. However, it must be completed before WSI Classroom and Pool. This component of the WSI course is three to six hours in length.[1][7]
WSI Online
The WSI Online component allows candidates to learn at their own speed, the WSI course has 14 to 20 hours of online learning.
WSI Teaching Experience
A minimum of eight hours of teaching experience must be completed in each of a Swim Preschool and a Swim Kids program, this allows first-hand experience observing a certified instructor demonstrating real progressions and swimmer skills.
WSI Classroom and Pool
The final and fourth component of the WSI course involves nine hours of classroom and twelve hours of pool experience under the supervision of a certified instructor trainer. As part of pool experience, candidates practice teaching exercises on fellow candidates or on actual swimmers completing swimming lessons, similar to the WSI Teaching Experience component.
Certification
Once certified, WSI instructors are certified for one year, allowing the instructor to teach Red Cross Swim programs without supervision. Completing an additional three WSI online modules within one year extends the expiry of their certification by one year. Once the certification has expired, instructors must attend a WSI rectification course which composes of two hours classroom and three hours pool experience.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Become an Instructor - Canadian Red Cross". Red Cross Canada. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Water Safety Instructor - American Red Cross San Diego / Imperial Counties Chapter". American Red Cross. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Swimming Canada Coaching - Swimming Teacher – Red Cross Water Safety". www.nccpswimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Swimming Teacher – Red Cross & I Can Swim – Swimming Canada". www.swimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "NCCP Swimming – Swimming Canada". www.swimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Canadian Red Cross Instructor Network". instructornetwork.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Water Safety Instructor Development Program 2016". Red Cross Canada. Retrieved 25 January 2016.