Quinton Vea Vea is a Bidjara man, and NCIE Aquatics Learn to Swim teacher who is dedicated to keeping mob healthy. For most of his week he’s at uni studying for a BA in Exercise Physiology but many afternoons you’ll find him guiding our children through their learn to swim lessons, at the NCIE.
Now in his third year at the NCIE, Quinton’s path to teaching swimming began when he needed a part-time job to get through uni, “that wasn’t retail.”
Through uni friends he discovered the AUSTSWIM teacher course running at the Des Renford Centre in Maroubra, Sydney. He did the two days training there and undertook the practical component at the NCIE with Aquatics Coordinator, Tim Murray and the rest is history.
“The AUSTSWIM course is a two-day course which combines practical teaching strategies and water safety for all ages,” Quinton said.
“Water safety is a practical component within the pool and includes skills like how to call for a lifeguard, how to help someone if they happen to be unsafe or in danger in a pool.
“You also learn how to design a lesson plan for a particular area you want to teach in swimming, e.g. being able to float, or teaching freestyle and then learn more of the practical side during the 20 hours work experience. Once that is all completed and you hand in your lesson plans, you get your licence to teach.
“This course is great, it teaches you discipline, it helps you to mature and you learn so much about working with children – and it’s fun!”
AUSTSWIM is running the Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Course for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the NCIE pool Saturday 16 September and Sunday 17 September.
For more information, please contact AUSTSWIM NSW on (02) 9894 2077 or Email projects@austswim.com.au
