Out of the house, into the pool with SWIM

Calling teens 14 to 16.

If you’ve ever dreamed about becoming a lifeguard and sporting the red bathing suit, now is your chance to do something about it. The city of Newport Beach has organized a program called SWIM, Summer Work Internship & Mentoring, to help young people get out of the house and into the pool.

Teens will learn what it takes to become a lifeguard, and they will gain American Red Cross lifeguard certification, which includes lifeguard, CPR and first aid experience.

“This is our push for teens to join a team environment that isn’t competitive but something they can take part in while gaining job experience,” the city’s recreation coordinator, Christine Stempleski, said. “We want to coach them and get them ready for jobs in the future.”

The program is a mixture of indoor and outdoor learning.

About two-thirds of the course will allow for pool time, and about one-third of the course will take place in the classroom, Stempleski said.

“There is a lot of training on land and in the water, where the teens will learn to do rescues with active and passive drowning victims, conduct basic first aid and test their physical endurance,” Stempleski said. “They will also learn to apply for jobs through mock interviews and resume building where they will go through the whole scenario and we will grade them.”

Fourteen-year-olds will only receive Red Cross guard start certification, but they can return at age 15 to receive lifeguard certification.

“When they turn 15, we contact them and they can come back to the city and get lifeguard certification,” Stempleski said. “They do a review of everything from the previous summer and challenge things they learned. That way, they will have their certification around spring or summer, right around the time organizations are hiring.”

With the certifications, teens will have opportunities to gain employment and volunteer work.

“We want youths in our area to be able to apply for local jobs, but there are not a lot of qualified youths in our community,” Stempleski said. “Our goal is to give teens a good idea of what it takes to be employed while having fun.”

The course is demanding, though, so those who do not have the mentality or maturity to absorb the material will not receive their certification, Stempleski said.

Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Friday from July 5 to 28 at the Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center at Corona del Mar High School.

There is a $100 registration fee, and participants must know how to swim.

Those interested can register until the morning of July 5 either at Newport Beach City Hall or at www.city.newport-beach.ca.us.

If a minimum of seven students do not register, the course will be canceled. This number hasn’t yet been met.