Boating Safety Youth Award

 
Sponsor   Application


Boat Owners Association of the U.S. (Boat U.S.)
 

   Click here for an Application

Deadline: December 31, 2010
2010 Recipient
 



Veronica Floyd (far left), NSBC Chair, and Virgil Chambers (far right), NSBC Executive Director, along with sponsor BoatU.S. representatives Amanda Suttles (left) and Ted Sensenbrenner (right), present Chris Stec of the American Canoe Association with the Boating Safety Youth Program Award.

 American Canoe Association

The 2010 winner of the BoatU.S. Boating Safety Youth Program Award is the American Canoe Association for its Paddle Sport Education Program for youth.

The program, Paddle Safe, Paddle Smart, is a national research-based educational curriculum designed to introduce middle and high school age youth to the joys of paddling a canoe and/or kayak.

The curriculum emphasizes safety and skills and is designed specifically for teachers and youth leaders who want to include paddle sport instruction in their programs. Join the ACA to learn how to take this hands-on interactive curriculum and start offering paddlesport safety sessions both on-land and in-water.
 
Prior  Recipients
 

2009 - Alaska Office of Boating Safety

 The Alaska Office of Boating Safety’s Kids Don’t Float School Program (KDF)  is designed as a classroom-setting program taught to children and adults who are concerned with cold water immersion and the importance of wearing a life jacket.  The different components of the program include the lessons and activities the curriculum utilizes and how one might adapt the KDF program in their own state. 

2008 - Miles River & Power Squadron

 The “Safe Boating for Kids” Program is an initiative of the Miles River Sail & Power Squadron, located on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.  The program is planned for and involves all seventh graders (approximately 300) of the Talbot County Schools, Maryland, engaging them in hands-on learning activities related to multiple topics critical to boating safety. 

2007 – Denali Borough Water Safety Program

This community based program began in the local schools of rural Alaska with the state initiative “Kids Don’t Float” which promoted water safety to children across the state. With the help of local community partners, the Denali Borough Water Safety Program expanded into a hands-on experience where a group of teens are teaching other students aged 5 to 13. With on-the-water instruction and kids teaching kids, this course provides a unique experience for learning about water safety and brings energy and enthusiasm into the program.
2006 - Pacific Skyline Boy Scout Council

The Pacific Skyline Boy Scout Council’s “Sea Scout Safety at Sea Weekend” was created out of a desire to improve vessel safety instruction and has grown into the largest Sea Scout maritime safety instruction program in the United States. This hands-on program targets high school aged youth 14 years of age and older to teach them different maritime and vessel safety training techniques that can save a Sea Scout, their shipmate and their vessel in case of an emergency.

2005 - Houston Safe Boating Council – Camp WADE

Camp WADE is a three day camp for kids designed to present the theory portion of sailing, kayaking, power boating and personal watercraft operation in conjunction with the required curriculum for the state boating course. The students will then test the skills that they have acquired on the water.

2004 - St. Paul Sail and Power Squadron – Ron Schara’s Kids Fishing Clinic Water Safety Booth

The booth operates on the “LifeSaver” theme. A visual display shows all types of lifesavers, from the candy type to the PFD type for children, adults and animals. Squadron members, who are well versed in water safety, ask and answer questions about the need to wear life jackets and safety on and around the water. As each child leaves the booth, they are given a booklet that deals with water safety.

2003 - Dubois Area School District – Dubois Area School District Boating Water Safety Awareness Program

The goal of this program is to provide water safety education to every student in the 9th grade by offering a challenging, fun and innovative boating safety program. The students participate in hands-on activities and get instruction, books, pamphlets, written materials and actual “in the water” experience during this program.
 
Program Information
 

The purpose of the Boating Safety Youth Program Award is to provide a vehicle for recognizing individuals and organizations that have developed and successfully implemented innovative youth boating education programs targeting safety issues and concerns of national interest. The Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) sponsors the program and is a member of the NSBC.

The goal of this award is to encourage the development of innovative boating safety education programs directed at youth. For a youth boating program to qualify, it must integrate safety practices into the program and be aimed at students less than 18 years of age. Selection priority will be given to unique or innovative programs with the primary goal of increasing boat safety.

Award applications will be evaluated by the NSBC based on criteria that includes a program description, budget proposal, and availability of the program to be duplicated by others. The NSBC may require an interview with the program administrator before final selection of the award is made. This interview may be in person or by phone.

This award includes a cash prize of $2500 to be used for the implementation or enhancement of a youth-oriented boating safety program. In addition, the group will receive a beautiful trophy and a trip to the International Boating and Water Safety Summit (Summit). The attendance at the Summit, travel, lodging and subsistence based on the federal allowance will be covered for one representative of the winning program.

To receive the award, a representative of the winning program must agree to attend the International Boating and Water Safety Summit. The representative will present a 45 minute session on their award-winning youth program.

The award grant may be used to purchase necessary equipment, audio visual aids, printing, teaching aids, program promotion and advertisement, rental time of pool or waterfront facilities, transportation costs to on-water sites or other costs associated with the advancement of the program. Funds may not be used as wages or salaries for instructors.