Volunteer for the Kids Don't Float program

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The Kids Don’t Float (KDF) program is a statewide injury prevention effort that was developed to address Alaska’s high drowning rate for children and youth. This intervention is a collaborative effort between several state and federal agencies, organizations, and local grass-roots sponsors. The KDF program includes two components-the life jacket loaner boards found throughout the state and an educational component.

Our Kids Don't Float instructors teach in the classroom and in the pool. We focus on teaching students about cold water survival and the importance of always wearing a life jacket. After providing a lesson in the classroom, we invite the class to attend a boating safety pool session where they can practice the lifesaving skills they learned about by rotating through four interactive station in a controlled learning environment. These pool sessions are designed to address Alaska’s boating fatality statistics: five of six boating fatalities are caused by capsizing, swamping, or falling overboard.

We need volunteers to help us at our boating safety pool sessions. The four stations include a life jacket station where students can experience the performance of different types of life jackets, a man overboard station where students learn how to rescue someone who has fallen overboard, a clothing station where students experience the challenge of swimming while fully clothed, and a canoe station where students learn to self-rescue in the event of a boat capsizing or swamping. As a volunteer you will get to engage with students of all ages during this interactive learning experience. We need help setting up, cleaning up, and teaching and supervising at the different pool stations.

No swimming skills are required; life jackets are worn at all times by students and instructors.

Volunteers must sign a Volunteer Service Agreement and Media Release.

Most of our pool sessions happen during the week and during school hours. Occasionally we schedule Saturday pool sessions, but we are mostly looking for volunteers who can help us now and then during weekdays.

For more information, please contact Annie Grenier at annie.grenier@alaska.gov.