ACC RiverSafe Programme

Effective education is the most important intervention to reduce river drownings. Educating about rivers opens up new pathways to learning and understanding our natural heritage and an appreciation of hydrology and physics.

The ACC RiverSafe programmes are free resources about enjoying rivers safely.

Key Elements of the programme include:

• Students learning and practising the critical decision-making skills they need to make a risk assessment.
• Providing a decision making framework students can use for taking responsibility for their own actions or taking sole/shared responsibility for others - in, on or around water.
• Being closely linked to Ministry of Education EOTC Risk Assessment guidelines and can be used in conjunction with EOTC aquatic activities.

Key Concept: Safe Participation in River Based Aquatic Activities.

ACC RiverSafe:

• Is designed as a land based teaching programme supported with essential skills practice for safe swimming in a river, survival swimming and crossing a river.
• Contains all the information needed for teachers to deliver the programme.
• Is activity based.
• Is linked to the New Zealand curriculum.
• Includes a video that is specifically targeted to the age group.