Duration: 40 hours

Fee: Call facility for details

 The new American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim classes provide instruction to help swimmers of all ages and abilities develop their swimming and water safety skills. It is designed to give students a positive learning experience.

Learn-to-Swim teaches aquatic and safety skills in a logical progression. The objective is to teach people to swim and to be safe in, on and around the water.

Skills are categorized in the following way:

• Water Entry and Exit
• Breath Control and Underwater Swimming
  
• Buoyancy
• Changing Direction and Position
• Treading
• Swimming on Front, Back and Side
• General and Personal Water Safety
• Helping Others

Purpose:

• Train instructor candidates to teach water safety, including the Basic Water Rescue course, six levels of the Learn to Swim and Parent and Child Aquatics.
• Expand on information on the American Red Cross Fundamentals of Instructor Training (FIT) course (included in 40 hours);
• Identify key elements and strategies for planning and preparing effective and safe swim lessons;
• Identify key class management principles, elements and strategies for planning, preparing, and conducting safe swim lessons;
• Describe the importance of effective observation for teaching and how to develop it;
• Observe swimming skills and accurately classify them and suggest appropriate interventions to improve them. 

Prerequisites:

• Be at least 16 years of age by the final scheduled session of the instructor course;
• Successfully complete the precourse session strokes:
• Swim the strokes consistent with Stroke Performance Charts, Level 4 (see Appendix B)

Certification Requirements:

• Attend all class sessions;
• Complete all reading assignments;
• Participate in all activities;
• Successfully complete all practice-teaching assignments;
• Pass the final written exam with a minimum grade of 80 percent (40 correct answers out of 50 questions);
• Demonstrate maturity and responsibility throughout course.
  

Certificates Issued & Validity Period:

Authorization is for 2 calendar years. All authorizations expire on December 31. Initial authorization may be less or more depending on when training is completed.

Additional classes will be added to the website as available and listed on the Aquatic Instructor Hotline (262) 970-7413.
 

Course Sections
 

Dane County

Dodge County

Jefferson County

Kenosha County

Milwaukee County

Ozaukee County

Racine County

Walworth County

Washington County

Waukesha County