Safe Swimming Program
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Certificates for Kids
Children love water and are attracted to it for a wide variety of activities. Swimming is undoubtedly the best form of exercise for all age groups that keeps them emotionally and physically healthy.
Safe Water Sports that promotes water safety in the aquatic environment, aims to raise awareness to children from a very young age & to create an effective framework of information and prevention against accidents and drownings.
Τhe Organization has developed a unique swimming program for children with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and under the auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation & the Pan-Hellenic Coaches Association of Physical Education, that has been included in the ''Skill Labs'' of the Ministry of Education in the section Live better - Live well --HEALTH: Self-care, Safety and Prevention, Road Safety, to ensure the quality of learning at swimming pools through the enjoyment of the water, with the hope to increase water confidence and water safety awareness. The safe swimming program combines the acquisition of basic technical knowledge of a variety of swimming styles, the development of psycho-emotional elements in order to enjoy water through education that combines amusement & fun and at the same time the development of theoretical knowledge in order to raise children's awareness about their safety in the water. The existance of this program is to act as a complementary manual for the swimming instructors. The Safe Swimming Program does not replace the swimming lessons that occur at schools. Also, the Safe Swimming Program will not be implemented by external bodies or partners of the Organization.
Ιt addresses to:
Schools that participate in the existing swimming program (usually for 3rd and 4th grade) but also to any school that has a swimming pool.
The Safe Swimming Program includes an entity named, Blue Cap, which consists of three stages. Upon completion of all three stages, students have the opportunity to receive a specially designed diploma (certificate) that corresponds to the knowledge and skills that the child has acquired.
The aim of the swimming program for schools is to reassure that primary school students in Greece have accomplished the minimum required level of water safety skills and are able to apply basic self-rescue practices. In this way, the Physical Education course will provide ample opportunities for the development of skills in all students in the context of safe swimming, ensuring the basic level of swimming education and knowledge for healthy interaction with the aquatic environment.
After the completion of the Blue Cap entity each child should have gained:
-Theoretical knowledge for the recognition and avoidance of a dangerous situation in different aquatic environments (such as swimming pool, sea, etc.).
-Basic self-rescue skills
-The ability to swim without an aid means for at least 25 meters using different ways of floating and advancing.-Basic self-rescue skills
-Adaptation of the respiration rate in water and immersion ability for short underwater distances.
-The ability to actively participate in playful activities and develop psychosocial skills.
Additionally, Safe Water Sports has created a unique swimming program for children of 3 months old up to 12 years of age, in order to ensure the quality of learning at swimming pools through the enjoyment of the water, with the hope to increase water confidence and water safety awareness. Τhe program offers a series of certificates that show children's progression through 12 stages.Through the program, children learn about strokes and distances, basic safety rules in the aquatic environment and key lifesaving and water safety skills.
It addresses to:
Swimming clubs/academies in Greece, swimming pool centers, swimming instructors
This swimming program consists of 4 levels:
1. orange cap
2. purple cap
3. silver cap &
4. gold cap
The Safe Swimming Program is designed in cooperation with an expert group consisting of researchers, swimming instructors, Olympic winner athletes and the Association of Lifeguard Schools of Greece.
