Welcome to the Humboldt County Red Cross

Come to the American Red Cross for the best training and tips on
how to be safe in, on, and around the water!

Lifeguarding

Learn the skills and techniques you need to become a member of the lifeguard team

Are you 15 or older and looking for a great summer job or a challenging career? American Red Cross Lifeguarding is the best place to start! Lifeguarding puts you in an exciting position, working as part of a team to help people safely enjoy the water. Lifeguarding will help you develop skills and experience that will be valued by colleges and future employers. It's a great way to demonstrate what you can offer. Colleges and employers look for applicants who can deal effectively with people, who have a take-charge attitude and who are willing to work to develop new skills.

What You Will Learn

American Red Cross training makes learning fun and easy. Through classroom learning and hands-on practice, you'll learn:

Surveillance skills to help you recognize and prevent injuries

Rescue skills - in the water and on land

First aid training and professional rescuer CPR - to help you prepare for any emergency

Professional lifeguard responsibilities like interacting with the public and addressing uncooperative patrons

Lifeguarding - for lifeguards working at traditional pools

Course lengths vary from 30 to 37 hours.

Water Safety Instructor

The American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Course provides instructor candidates the training needed to teach courses in the American Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety Program by developing their understanding of how to use the course materials, how to conduct training sessions and how to evaluate participants' progress.

Concepts and features of the Water Safety Instructor course include:

Minimum age prerequisite to enter the course: 16 years of age

◦	Clearly described and applied teaching strategies, specifically:
	Explain, demonstrate and practice; Task setting; Station teaching; and Guided discovery.
◦	Instructor manual provides tools and information needed to plan and conduct courses. A CD-Rom will be packaged with the instructor's manual with information and tools for individuals managing a swim program, as well as conducting and administering learn-to-swim courses.
◦	New video segments that bring to life the realities of what to expect from their students throughout the levels for the brand new instructor.
◦	Video segments that focus on effective class management and effective teaching strategies in the aquatic setting.
◦	Various video segments show typical examples of basic skills and common progressions including breath control, swimming on the front and swimming on the back.
◦	Video segments also show some typical performance of the strokes as they progress through the levels. This video depiction helps instructor candidates visualize the description of the strokes in the written skills performance criteria charts that they will then be able to use when evaluating their students' performance.
◦	Supported by video, the instructor candidates work to develop their ability to observe and assess, often referred to as having a photographic eye, which will help them to identify weaknesses and determine how to intervene to move their students to the next level.
◦	Learning activities, games and drills are built in throughout the course; some are led by the instructor trainer while others are led by instructor candidates. This helps instructor candidates improve their strokes and understand how to integrate activities, games and drills effectively into their teaching.
◦	Multiple opportunities for instructor candidates to practice their teaching skills through formal practice teaching assignments as well as leading mini-lessons.

Whether you want to splash around with kids and teach them to swim, help children or adults refine their strokes or teach diving safety techniques, you can do it as an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor. Qualified instructors can also help prepare swim coaches to prevent and respond to emergency situations.

Enroll today for American Red Cross Lifeguarding or Water Safety Instructor courses at the following locations:

Humboldt State University (Instructor level courses)
Humboldt State University (Red Cross Learn to Swim Program and Youth Camps)

These programs are administered by an American Red Cross Instructor Trainer.

For more information about Aquatics programs call our office at (707) 443-4521.

You may also use the form below to contact our program coordinator, Debranell Walker.

Come to the American Red Cross for the best training and tips on how to be safe in, on, and around the water!

Lifeguarding

What You Will Learn

Water Safety Instructor

Concepts and features of the Water Safety Instructor course include:

Come to the American Red Cross for the best training and tips on
how to be safe in, on, and around the water!