Take a Step Back...
it could save your life. Our "Take a step back" program focuses on water safety. Alaskans spend a great deal of time around or on water. We want people to take a step back, asses the situation and be able to enjoy the water safely. The program will also carry over to other areas including injury prevention, hunter safety education and gun safety, because of their relevance to daily life in remote Alaska.
Our staff and volunteers will travel to remote villages in Alaska during the summer of 2009. Several programs will run concurrently in a summer school format. Children under the age of 18 will be able to attend the program at no cost. Equipment, supplies and lunch are provided.
Although swimming and water safety education are the focal point of our program, we will offer computer, reading, spelling and math instruction, as well as time for native studies. The programs will focus on personal & water safety, computer skills, reading and math. Participants will have a rotating schedule.
Background
Drowning is the #2 cause of death in Alaska. Each year the Alaskan newspapers contain stories recounting the close calls and the not so fortunate. In bush Alaska, rivers are the main travel corridors. In the summer, boats whizz up and down the rivers. In the winter, snowmachines travel over the frozen rivers. Even in the summer, the rivers are cold. Cold water quickly saps the body of precious energy and coordination.
Our goal is to give children living in remote Alaska basic water safety skills, show them the proper use of water safety equipment and leave equipment in the village for community use. We are looking into partnerships with organizations including BoatUS, Kids Don't Float and other water safety organization.
We want to coordinate with the school districts' goals and needs to develop tailored programs. This will give maximum benefits to the students that attend.