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Thursday. 28 March 2024
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StarGuard online course

Jill White

Copyright 2007 

ISBN: 0736063897
ISBN13: 9780736063890 

Visit the Aquatic Education Center to order this course! 


StarGuard: Best Practices for Lifeguards online course will help students prepare to become lifeguards. Based on the Starfish Risk Management model, this course highlights the best practices in the areas of prevention, surveillance, emergency care, aquatic rescue, and professionalism and personal safety.

The StarGuard program is a blended learning experience which involves both a self-study component and an instructor-led component. This online course replaces the traditional classroom component by allowing students to complete the self-study component without the need to be on-site to get thorough, professional instruction. The instructor-led component of the training follows the successful completion of the online course. Successful completion of the instructor-led component, which includes written and practical exams, earns certification.

The blended format of this course is ideal for students who are in geographically diverse locations and can be on site for only a limited time before testing for certification. Now students can use valuable pool time to practice new skills and focus on practical application rather than sit through lectures and demonstrations.

Learning online by using the StarGuard course creates an exciting learning experience for students and reduces training expense and time for lifeguard trainers. The result is students who are more engaged and learn concepts in more depth, and instructors whose valuable time is spent in the most productive way possible—in the pool.

The Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) was founded in 1999 by nationally renowned aquatics expert Jill White. The Starfish mission is to reduce drowning and save lives by providing reputable and responsive aquatic safety training programs and services delivered to the public through a network of independent training centers operated by committed, knowledgeable aquatic professionals. The StarGuard program is the method by which SAI certifies lifeguards.

The StarGuard online course integrates basic lifeguard training and the four key emergency care competencies (first aid, CPR and AED at the professional rescuer level, bloodborne pathogens, and emergency oxygen) all in one highly interactive program. This course is complemented by two texts, Complete Emergency Care and StarGuard: Best Practices for Lifeguards, Third Edition. The course is designed to work directly with these two texts, and it seamlessly directs users to the Emergency Care for Aquatic Personnel online course embedded within the StarGuard course. StarGuard is the only course to include all of these components, including emergency care, in one package. To insure mastery of the emergency care skills during the self-study component, this course is also available with the Family & Friends CPR Anytime Kit from the American Heart Association. This kit includes a small, personal CPR manikin so that the student can practice hands-on skills during self-study.

StarGuard: Best Practices for Lifeguards Online Course

The blended course fully prepares students to obtain training certification through the internationally recognized Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) and the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI). Following completion of the self-study online component, this certification can be obtained by attending a fast-paced, interactive water session with an authorized instructor and completing a competency assessment through written and practical exams. The blended delivery of this course is ideal if you need to


  • ensure valuable instructor-led pool time is used in the most efficient, effective way possible;
  • allow students to learn online at their own pace and spend as much time as needed on each skill;
  • eliminate the need for lengthy traditional on-site training sessions; or
  • train a geographically diverse group of students who have limited time to spend on-site before testing for certification.



The one-of-a-kind online component teaches students to reduce risk and to recognize and respond to emergency situations. The experiential approach in both parts of the blended course will quickly build confidence and competence. Students will learn to prioritize duties so they can focus on what is really important in all situations and hone their decision-making skills. The course emphasizes the importance of surveillance skills and professional attitudes and behaviors, and it prepares lifeguards to perform at or above industry standards. Special environments are addressed in the course, including optional modules for, waterpark, waterfront, and wilderness settings.


Website Page URL (Link) Reference:

http://www.humankinetics.com/aquatics-international-courses/aquatics-international-courses/starguard-online-course?ActionType=2_SetCurrency&CurrencyCode=1

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