Tertiary Provider Guide & Resources
Are you looking for ways to engage your TAFE, college or university international students in learning about beach and coastal safety? Please explore our guide and available resources to help you discover what is available for you.
What are the statistics telling us?
48%
of coastal drowning deaths were born overseas
2020 SLSNSW Coastal Safety Report
28%
of all coastal drowning deaths were 20-34 year olds.
2020 SLSNSW Coastal Safety Report
88%
of Coastal drowning deaths were male
2020 SLSNSW Coastal Safety Report
Engaging & Educating our tertiary student communities
Tertiary student communities are a high priority for SLSNSW when it comes to educating and engaging them in key beach safety messages. Individuals studying at a tertiary institute may potentially have a number of risk factors when it comes to beach and coastal safety. International students, new to Australia, may have a low level of knowledge of Australian beaches and waterways and may be more likely to take unkown risks at the beach. Our beautiful beaches are a strong pull for many students wishing to study in Australia and this may be the first activity they engage in on arrival. Young males between the ages of 16 and 29 are additionally one of the biggest risk groups and ensuring that we provide sufficuent coastal safety education at tertiarty level may help to mitigate and prevent risks and risk taking behaviours within these groups. Those studying at TAFE and especially those new to Australia and with low levels of English language ability again may engage in activities at the beach that are unsafe and risky. Our goal is to ensure that we maximise opportunities to engage, educate and empower our studying communities to be safe and take care of themselves and their friends allowing them to have the maximal opportunity to enjoy our coastlines and the coastal community life.
How can you support the beach & coastal safety of your students?
- Book a virtual or in classroom beach safety session with us. These sessions will provide the basic knowledge for your students before they even step foot on the sand.
- Talk to us about running an on beach safety session at one of your local beaches. These sessions will introduce your students to practical hazard identification and beach safety skills.
- Embed beach and coastal safety education into your lessons. Watch the international student video with your students and work through the aligned work sheets.
- If your having an orientation week or induction week - reach out to us and we can come along and engage with your students.
- Provide them a copy or link to our multilingual beach safety, rock fishing safety fact sheets, videos and glossary.
- Do you send your students a pre arrival or welcome pack? Download our beach and coastal safety resources and include them to ensure students have an opportunity to learn about our coastalines before they arrive.
- Print our fact sheets and place them on your community notice boards. We provide large size posters to all our networks so reach out to us or sign up to our "keep me in the loop" newsletters. below.
- Do you have a swimming pool on your campus? Reach out to us and we can provide beach safety survival sessions at your pool.
These activity sheets aligned to short video cuts from the International Student Water Safety Video will allow your students to develop their English language proficiency while learning about beach safety.
Share our multilinugal resources with your student communities to support their education and learning.
Day at the Beach Program
TAFE Students
Delivered both virtually and in classroom. Multilingual presenters available.
Empower your students to get involved as a coastal safety ambassador or as part of our youth forum and learn new skills, use their voice and support the prevention of drownings within their own communities.
For further support on tertiary, TAFE, University and Low-ELP resources and programs please contact our Multicultural Education & Engagement Team at community@surflifesaving.com.au