Recertification is different from renewing your membership. If you want to renew your membership, log in to your account here.
RCABC RECERTIFICATION TOPICS:
- WHO NEEDS TO RECERTIFY?
- HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO RECERTIFY?
- HOW DO I RECERTIFY?
- WHY DO I NEED TO RECERTIFY?
- WHAT IS A LAKEWATER RECERTIFICATION CLINIC LIKE?
- WHAT IS A MOVING WATER RECERTIFICATION CLINIC LIKE?
Recertification is required for all RCABC Lakewater or Movingwater Instructor Certificates, every 3 years. Of these two, RCABC instructors are required to recertify at their highest level only. For instance if you are a Movingwater Instructor, you do not need to recertify your Lakewater Instructor certification.
If you have another RCABC Instructor certification, such as Canoe Tripping Instructor or Big Canoe Instructor, there is no recertification required for those disciplines. However one still needs to recertify at their highest level of either Lakewater or Movingwater Instructor.
RCABC Master Instructors do not need to recertify, but are expected to contribute to the association through volunteering on the executive, course development committees or other activities that help fulfil RCABC's mandate.
Paddler Level Certificates do not expire.
HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO RECERTIFY?
Recertification is required every 3 years. If an instructor certificate has expired and it has been 5 years since it was issued (or re-issued) the holder must contact the RCABC Instructor Coordinator to determine how to proceed. Instructors can apply for an extension of their instructor certifcation if it can be shown that circumstances prevented them from attending a clinic or a clinic was not reasonably available.
There are a number of ways you can arrange your recertification.
- Every spring at the RCABC Annual General Meeting, a Recertification Clinic is offered.
- Do a search for an Lakewater or Moving Water Instructor Trainer or Master and contact them.
- Check the Upcoming Courses page for an instructor course and ask the course conductor if you can come to recertify.
- Contact the instructor that originally certified you. (However RCABC recommends that you get exposure to as many instructors as possible.)
- Contact the Instructor Coordinator or Executive to ask if they know of upcoming opportunities.
Recertification accomplishes many goals:
- Interaction, sharing of ideas and networking with other instructors
- Fine tuning skills and teaching methods
- Updates on latest developments within RCABC
- Helps to standardize the delivery of RCABC courses
WHAT IS A LAKEWATER RECERTIFICATION CLINIC LIKE?
Recertification clinics need to be flexible in nature to help create as many opportunities as possible for instructors to recertify. Contact the instructor for specific details. Lakewater Recertification is a dedicated, full day clinic or could be combined with another course, provided that all of the goals are achieved.
In addition to the goals listed in the "Why do I need to recertify?" section above, the testing portions of the Lakewater Instructor course are reviewed. This includes:
- Tandem circuit
- Solo circuit
- Teaching strokes/manoeuvres/theory
- Written Exam
- Other instruction ideas as determined by the conductor
Instructors should come to the clinic having prepared by reviewing this material. Clinics are generally considered participatory in nature and not a "testing" situation. A primary goal is to encourage instructors to meet the goals outlined above and continue teaching canoeing. However conductors do have the right to not grant a recertification if the Lakewater Instructor standards are not being met.
WHAT IS A MOVING WATER RECERTIFICATION CLINIC LIKE?
Recertification clinics need to be flexible in nature to help create as many opportunities as possible for instructors to recertify. Contact the instructor for specific details. Movingwater Recertification is a dedicated 2 day clinic or could be combined with a Movingwater Level 1 or 2 course, provided that all of the goals are achieved.
In addition to the goals listed in the "Why do I need to recertify?" section above, a Movingwater Recertification should review all of the material in RCABC Movingwater Level 1&2 courses. This will take significant time on the river to review teaching and skills, and on land to review theory components. Because Movingwater Instructors are not required to recertify their Lakewater Instructor certification, the Movingwater recert clinc should include some discussion of Lakewater components and typically the Lakewater Instructor written exam.
