Aca Education & Outreach Manager
Charleston, South Carolina Area
The ACA Education & Outreach Coordinator has primary responsibility for coordinating ACA outreach events at the national level. As a member of the Safety, Education & Instruction (SEI) staff the Education & Outreach Coordinator helps oversee the ACA National Paddlesports Instruction Program, which has been acknowledged as the "Gold Standard" of paddlesports education throughout the world.As staff liaison to the ACA Adaptive Paddling Committee, I guided development and growth of the ACA Adaptive Paddling Program. Since 1990, the ACA has led the adaptive recreation industry, training instructors and program providers in the best practices of inclusive paddlesports.As the grant manager and a lead Instructor Trainer for a 2013 Olympic Opportunity Fund Grant, I helped train instructors at Team River Runner chapters throughout the country. Team River Runner is a organization focused on providing programming to disabled Veterans.As grant manager and lead Instructor Trainer for an Outdoor Nation Grant, I brought key concepts of accessibility and paddlesports adaptive outfitting to Shake-A-Leg, Miami. As Chair of the inaugural Adaptive Paddling Summit, I had full responsibility for planning, development and implementation of the event. I selected the host city through careful analysis of replies to a Request for Proposals; selected speakers and presenters from responses to a call for presentations; formed contracts with the conference facility and hotels; coordinated the on-water and classroom site logistics; coordinated all marketing. 2014 Adaptive Paddling Summit highlights are available on the ACA website.As an ACA Adaptive Paddling Instructor Trainer, I lead 2.5-day and 4-day workshops teaching accessibility, risk management, and the equipment and instructional delivery modifications necessary for instructors and businesses to successfully integrate individuals with disabilities into paddlesport and other outdoor recreation programming.