American Canoe Association Canoe Instructor Certification Course offering IDW/ICE, Levels 1-2 May 20-22, 2023 (Sat-Mon), Levels 3-4 May 23-25, 2023 (Tue-Thu), at Camp Bethel
Certification for Tandem or Solo Canoe Instructors or Current Instructor Updates
Detailed Course Outline and What to Expect: A 2-3 hour virtual classroom session will be held prior to the course start date to eliminate indoor sessions. Each participant is required to attend that session, scheduled based on candidate availability. The in-person portion of the course will be conducted entirely outdoors.
This course is appropriate for: Camps & Conference Centers offering canoe programs on lakes or rivers; County & City Parks and Recreation Canoe Program Staff or Trip Leaders; Physical Education Programs wishing to teach paddling as a life-time sport; Current Certified Instructors needing updates; Anyone wishing to teach canoeing and gain in their own skills as well; and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts leaders wishing to teach skills and lead trips for Scouting programs. Stay for both courses OR just for the level you have as your goal. All coursework will be in the Roanoke Valley Area. Classes begin daily at 9:00am and finish around 5:00pm. Instructor candidates are expected to bring a (waterproof) working lunch to each session and plenty of fluids for each day.
COURSE PRICE: $100 per person per day plus your $25 registration and materials fee. A $125 non-refundable deposit due by May 1 counts toward your total fee, and all balances are due before May 15. LOCATION: Roanoke Area, based from Camp Bethel (328 Bethel Road, Fincastle, VA 24090). Class venues change daily and are located a 25-45-minute drive away from Camp Bethel, depending on the day and/or water levels. All rental gear is transported for you and carpooling with course mates is encouraged. Some venues are more remote with no access to potable water or restrooms, so please be flexible and self-sufficient for your needs. PREREQUISITE: Must be a current or new member of the American Canoe Association and pay $30 fee to the Safety Instruction and Education Council (SEIC) at time of certification. EQUIPMENT: Instructor Candidates may bring their own boats, paddles and lifejackets, OR may rent gear for an additional $35 for the duration of the course. Indicate equipment needs in your Registration Form below. INSTRUCTOR: Beth Wiegandt is a Canoe and Kayak Instructor-Trainer with the ACA, Past Chair of the Introduction to Paddling and River Canoe Committees, and ACA Instructor for SUP and River Safety and Rescue. She's been instructing paddlers and leading area trips since 1989. Contact Beth at YourOutdoorClassroom@gmail.com. LODGING: Lodging and camping is separate from your course fees. At Camp Bethel, you can stay in a shared cottage (bathroom, kitchenette, bunk beds) for $25 per night OR you may tent camp for $12 per tent per night. Indicate lodging or camping needs on your registration form, OR choose from local hotels. REGISTER NOW (2 steps below) and BEFORE MAY 1: A minimum of 5 Instructor Candidates and maximum of 12 ensure that you receive the individual attention you need to succeed in this course. Register on line below. A $125 non-refundable deposit counts toward your total fee, and all balances are due before May 15. QUESTIONS: Contact Beth Wiegandt at YourOutdoorClassroom@gmail.com or 540-556-2594.
2-STEP REGISTRATION BELOW! (1) PAY, THEN (2) COMPLETE REGISTRATION DATA ENTRY.
After successfully paying and submitting your registration data, Beth Wiegandt will contact you within 3 business days via email from YourOutdoorClassroom@gmail.com. If you already paid, but your browser didn't direct you to our on-line registration data form, be sure to complete the registration and submit your data HERE.
COVID 19 and other communicable diseases: Some updates To Be Determined: Please be aware that we will follow CDC guidelines as of the course date to help protect students and staff. All participants will be required to follow these protocols to participate in the course. These MAY include any/all of the following: 1. A pre-screening questionnaire sent to all participants and staff regarding personal health and contacts with others. 2. Masks/face coverings for the nose and mouth for all on-land portions of the class and whenever participants are within 6 feet of each other on the water (ie tandem canoe partners will need to wear masks unless they are from the same household unit). Face masks may be recommended to be worn at all times during the course. 3. Daily temperature readings may be taken for all instructors and participants. Anyone with a temperature over 100 will not be able to join the class. 4. All participants are required to bring hand sanitizer and bleach wipes with them to the class and have them available for frequent use on and off the water. 5. Rental gear will be sanitized and assigned to the same person for the duration of the course. As much as possible, participants should bring their own equipment including rescue bags. 6. The expectation is that participants perform self rescues. This will be practiced within the venue, and venues will be chosen to minimize the need for rescues. 7. Much of the class will be conducted at “Park and Play” spots. Some shuttles may be necessary for longer classes.
Please note: Local and State regulations are subject to change with regards to travel, facilities, and resources. This may mean changes to the course as well. Please be as self-contained and flexible as possible so that we can all enjoy increasing our skills in a responsible manner.
