All Applicants Pass Water Safety Course
Three students have passed the annual Red Cross instructor course this weekend that was hosted at the Wellness Center.
The Water Safety Instructor Course is a weekend long course where students or community members can demonstrate their skills in the water to, later, become a Red Cross instructor.
Applicants who pass the water course will have a licensed certification under the Red Cross for two years before they need to reinstate their license.
Sarah Deming, the assistant director of Aquatics at USD, said that students who are interested in this have to pass a written exam before then demonstrate different styles of swimming exercises.
“[The water safety course] is a weekend long course of blended learning formats. Students have to come in to pass a prerequisite [and] a swimming test… Then show [us] they have the swimming abilities to teach swimming lessons,” Deming said. “The rest of the weekend is split between lecturer time, activities and then skill practice and teachings.”
There are a variety of challenges within the swimming course for students to pass. One of them is the financial commitment applicants have to pay. Before they are able to take the tests, applicants have to pay $190 out of pocket.
“Yes, there is a financial commitment that [applicants] have to make, although it pays itself off with one summer of teaching swimming lessons easily,” Deming said.
Some characteristics that Deming looks for in candidates is how they work with others and communication skills.
“[We look for] people who have great swimming skills or be able to learn them pretty quickly. We like to have someone who can communicate effectively and understand the development of a child,” Deming said. “A lot of this is covered in the course, and if they aren’t they are tested during the course to see if they pass or not.”
If there are any questions about any aquatics courses, visit the Wellness Center website at Wellness.usd.edu or contact Sarah Deming at [email protected] or call 605-658-6796.
