As an American Red Cross certified WSI, you can teach water safety skills & swim lessons to learners of all ages! Gain hands-on experience in teaching swim skills and water safety techniques; learn about lesson planning, teaching methods and evaluating progress.
This certification opens doors to employment in Aquatics with any Authorized Provider — including job openings at GMCF!
Upcoming in-person course schedule:
In-Person Course Schedule:
July 22 5:00 PM – 6:45 PM
July 23 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
July 24 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
July 25 4:30 PM – 9:30 PM
July 26 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
July 27 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Registration will close July 8th
Online Component:
Approximately 7 hours of online work in the simulation learning environment are required to complete the course.
Online component & prerequisites
Details on the online components will be provided to registrants in advance of the course. The online components will require up to 7 hours of work.
Participants must be 16 years of age or older by completion of the course.
$100 of the course fee covers material costs for course materials and is refundable only if the course does not meet minimum requirement numbers.
The remainder of the course fee is refundable only if a participant does not pass the initial skills assessment, or the course does not meet minimum requirement numbers.
To enroll in the WSI course, you must be at least 16 years old before the last scheduled class session. To participate in the course, you must be able to pass a prerequisite skills evaluation (held during the first session of the course) by doing the following:
- Swim the following strokes consistent with a Level 4 skill level (details available upon request):
- Front crawl 25 yards
- Back crawl 25 yards
- Breaststroke 25 yards
- Elementary backstroke 25 yards
- Sidestroke 25 yards
- Butterfly 15 yards
- Maintain position on back for 1 minute in deep water (floating or sculling)
- Tread water for 1 minute
The prerequisite skills evaluation will occur on the first day of the course. Please bring a swimsuit and towel for the skills evaluation and for every class.
To successfully complete the course, you must successfully complete the precourse session (see above), successfully complete the online Orientation to the Swimming and Water Safety Program, which includes an orientation to the American Red Cross, attend and successfully participate in all course lessons, including the online content, successfully complete the required number of practice-teaching assignments and score at least 80 percent (correctly answer 40 of 50 questions) on the final instructor course written exam.
The practice sessions will require some strenuous physical activity. You are encouraged to check with your health care professional before participating in the practice sessions. If you have a medical condition or disability that might prevent you from participating in the activities, or have questions about being able to fully participate in the WSI course, please contact us to discuss this before the course begins.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a course completion certificate indicating Water Safety Instructor course.
Registration Instructions
Water Safety Instructor (WSI) Certification
Become a certified ARC Water Safety Instructor by completing this blended (online/in-person combination) course with GMCF!
Trouble registering? Call us for assistance at (802) 223-6161