TSRA is offering two scholarships, valued at $200 each, to an upcoming Rescue Instructor certification course. To apply for the scholarship, please contact Jessie Finamore at Jessie@paddletsra.org no later than Monday, June 21^st, 2021.

Instructor candidates who do not want a scholarship can register for the class now; all TSRA members receive a 10% discount on all NOLI instruction by using promo code TSRA at checkout. Additionally, USA Raft is offering a discount on camping/cabins if you tell them you are an instructor candidate in this class when making your reservation.

None of us know what July has in store for us from a coronavirus perspective, but NOLI has committed that the health, safety and well-being of staff and students are their priority. If the class needs to be cancelled or postponed, NOLI will issue a full refund.

So, what is this class all about? Do you want to learn how to teach others to be safer on the water while also becoming better prepared to lead a rescue when things don’t go as planned? The ACA River Safety and Rescue Instructor Course (Level 3) will help you get there by training you how to teach recognition and avoidance of common river hazards, execution of self-rescue techniques, and simple rescues of paddlers in distress.

What makes this class different from a typical Swiftwater Rescue Instructor certification class? Some candidates will perform at a L3 Rescue Instructor level to be able to teach rescue on class II waterways...but some will perform at a L2 Rescue Instructor level to be able to teach rescue on class I waterways. This is, nationally, the first time an ACA rescue instructor course has been held with the opportunity to come out certified to teach rescue to entry level boaters on class I waterways. If your performance in the class merits a whitewater certification to teach on class II, then you can earn up to an L3, but if your goal is to teach recreational and entry level boaters how to be safer, this is a class you don’t want to miss.

Date: July 9-11, 2021
Location: Nolichucky Outdoor Learning Institute (NOLI), Erwin, TN
Instructors: ACA ITE Robin Pope and Scott Fisher

Course Prerequisites (see the NOLI website for complete details):

·       Age 18+

·       Good overall health and fitness

·       Comfortable in moving waters

·       Proficient in self-rescue skills

What is this scholarship all about? TSRA is offering two scholarships, valued at $200 each. To apply for the scholarship, please contact Jessie Finamore at Jessie@paddletsra.org no later than Monday, June 21^st, 2021.

Scholarship Requirements and Additional Considerations:

·       Each year that your ACA Rescue Instructor certification lasts (which is four years), scholarship recipients must be available and agree to help TSRA by teaching one TSRA Rescue for Rec Boaters two-day course and then also supporting either a TSRA Whitewater Basic River Rescue or TSRA Swiftwater Rescue course.

·       Applicant must be a current TSRA and ACA member prior to being awarded a scholarship.

·       Food, lodging and transportation are the responsibility of each instructor candidate.

·       Upon certification, instructors will be responsible for $35 annual SEIC dues.

·       Certified instructors will need current CPR and First Aid certification, but this can be completed after the ACA certification is earned.

·       TSRA plans to offer future CPR/First Aid training for a nominal fee. Date(s) are to be determined.