ACA Assessment courses have been developed as a tool to allow paddlers a clear progression of skill development. Courses provide progression in skills and paddling venues associated with specific disciplines in solo and/or tandem canoeing. Upon successful completion of each Skills Assessment checklist, your Instructor will submit the paperwork and you will receive official documentation of your level of skill from the ACA National Office. Note: to receive Skills Assessment documentation, you must be a current ACA member. Additional course-specific requirements can be found on the ACA Website in the ACA Assessment Criteria…
After satisfactory completion of the Wilderness LifeGuard program, participants can take this additional three-day training to become an Instructor candidate of the program. Apprenticeships follow, before the Instructor candidates are able to offer these programs on their own under the auspices of the Starfish Aquatics Institute. Contact our office for more information and updated course…
The Wilderness LifeGuard program is a cutting edge course designed to meet the needs of wilderness trip leaders with a focus on prevention. This remote application to aquatic rescue courses can be taken alone as a primary training, as an add-on module to the SAI StarGuard® course, or as a module for current lifeguards. Site assessment, swimmer assessment, and improvising lifeguarding equipment are key components that differentiate this course from traditional waterfront…
The Landmark Outdoor Educator Semester is a combined course experience taught May-June each year for rising professionals in the outdoor education and recreation fields. The combination of nationally recognized certification trainings offers students an opportunity to make themselves marketable in the outdoor community, building a resume founded in national standards. Training does not substitute for experience, however training helps folks gain the work that furthers their outdoor professional career. The LOES is available for up to 12 hours of college credit through Western Carolina…
The Instructor Development Workshop (IDW), over 1.5 days, is where instructors assess Instructor Candidate demonstrations and teaching technique, providing feedback for improvement. Instructor candidates receive an exit interview with specific recommendations and 2-4 teaching assignments for the Instructor Certification Exam (ICE). Over an additional 1.5 days, Instructor Candidates’ teaching and demonstration skills are evaluated by course instructors to determine instructional status with the ACA. Additional course-specific requirements can be found on the ACA Website in the ACA Instructor Criteria…
