Announcing This Year's Club Fostered Stewardship Grant Winners

This year's Club Fostered Stewardship grant program (sponsored by L.L. Bean) has allowed us to award more than $10,000 to 21 different organizations across the country! 

Check out these awesome stewards: 
2014 CFS Grant Recipients. 

Interested in submitting an application in 2015? Learn more about this unique grant opportunity today!

Announcing a Special Course for ACA Instructors

As part of the annual East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival, the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission is hosting a special course for ACA Instructors. 

The Coaching Process with Todd Johnstone-Wright 
April 8-9, 2014
$150
Register online

This course is designed to expose instructors, instructor trainers, and instructor trainer educators in all disciplines to core coaching competencies and behaviors that enhance long term paddler development by increasing efficiency, student motivation, and an individual's access to learning. 

While the CP course is based on current educational theory and best practice, at its core it's a fun, hands-on, collaborative experience designed to harness the talents of each participant. The CP course will cover the following coaching competencies:

• Differentiated Instruction
• Observation and Analysis 
• Purposeful Practice
• Session Planning
• The Role of Feedback
• Developing Performance Assessments
• Long Term Paddler Development

Prerequisites: This coaching course is appropriate for ACA Level 1-5 Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructor Trainer Educators in any discipline. 

Announcing the New ACA State Director Program!

In an effort to better understand paddling issues across the country and help your local paddling community, the ACA is seeking members who are interested in volunteering for our brand new State Director Program.  

State Directors will help the ACA be more effective at the state level, whether it's through assistance with an educational activity, supporting an environmental action, or providing tools for a clean-up.

State Directors can also assist new or potential ACA members locally with things like finding paddling clubs or instruction, organizing a stewardship opportunity, or helping people contact the ACA if there is an issue that needs national attention.

The ACA will begin accepting applications for State Directors on March 14. In the meantime, please read about this important new volunteer program here:  State Director Program. 

Announcing the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit

Save the date! The ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 15-17, 2014.

Geared toward professionals and enthusiasts working to bring paddlesports into the lives of individuals with disabilities, the Adaptive Paddling Summit will include:

• High quality educational sessions
• The latest in adaptive equipment demonstrations
• Opportunities to refine best practices, network, learn, and have fun!

The ACA is currently accepting proposals from individuals, paddling clubs, and organizations who are interested in presenting at the summit. Please submit proposals through our online call for presenters form.

Joe Moore, ACA Education and Outreach Coordinator, explains:

"This event presents a unique forum where we can all learn from experts and their specialties, and it presents an opportunity to teach and hone our own curriculum."

Learn more about the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit, and mark your calendars. Online registration will be available starting May 1, 2014.