This is the year to end drowning and promote safer, cleaner waters
Forest Grove Dragon Days outreach tent
Please stop by the WaterStrong outreach tent at the Dragon Days Triathlon event in Forest Grove. Great family fun and an accessible race course.
Randall Children’s Hospital Touch-A-Truck - lifejacket distribution
Volunteers needed for lifejacket distribution at this annual community outreach festival for child safety
Adult & Pediatric First Aid CPR AED training
This class is delivered for MESD MEP staff and team members. Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
Summer EcoSwim with MESD Migrant Education Program
Volunteers needed! Please join WaterStrong in a two-day summer camp program designed to welcome 200 students grades K-8 to the magic of summer water activities, such as swimming, boating, fishing, and nature’s beauty.
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
Portland Bridge Swim outreach tent
Volunteers needed. Portland Bridge Swim is a championship open water race attracting elite distance swimmers from around the world to ride the Willamette River tides downriver 11 miles. Throw on a WaterStrong tshirt and mingle with the swimmers at the finish line.
Summer EcoSwim with Sellwood Community House
Volunteer swim instructors needed for a one-day EcoSwim clinic delivered at Sellwood Park with Sellwood Community House.
Scott Pemberton O Theory backyard concert
Open to anyone who can hear the music, come on over for an evening of fantastic live music with SE Portland’s musical genius Scott Pemberton O Theory.
Adult & Pediatric First Aid CPR AED certification
This class will be delivered for Bienestar staff and team members. Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
Summer EcoSwim with Bienestar
Volunteers needed for a 2-day summer camp delivering the magic of summer with water activities like boating, fishing, swimming and pure enjoyment in nature.
Oregon Whitewater presentation
Please join us for a presentation to OWA on what we’re up to! The Oregon Whitewater Association brings private boaters together for the enjoyment of whitewater boating. Our vision is to promote whitewater safety and training for all of our membership in an effort to provide safety awareness and confidence when executing river rescue skills. OWA is the community of choice where fun and river adventures thrive and where people and rivers connect.
Adult & Pediatric First Aid CPR AED certification with Sellwood Community House
This class will be delivered for SCH staff and team members. Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
ImHooked Great Outdoor Experience - lifejacket distribution
Volunteers needed! WaterStrong joins ImHooked in its major annual event to distribute over 600 lifejackets courtesy of Metro.
In partnership with the Federal Way Parks Department and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, spend the day outdoors (rain or shine), engage in angler education, fishing, and health & wellness activities. Community mentors will help guide your child and family in the art of fishing, nature, health, and wellness and instill a love and passion to enjoy for years to come!
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Angler Education Station
Life Jacket Fitting and Education
Shoreline Fishing
Fish Cleaning Station
Aquatic Ecology
Health & Wellness
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
MLK Elementary water safety all-school assembly
Just in time for spring field trips to the lake and the beginning of summer, we’ve been invited back to MLK Elementary for an all-school assembly with a focus on water safety. Get ready to learn the basics: buddy system, SOS on the safety whistle, self-assist, reach assist, and throw assist.
EcoSwim clinic (pool based)
Share your love for the water. EcoSwim clinics are delivered in partnership with mission-aligned organizations to reach underserved families. With low instructor:participant ratios, we build a foundation in the essentials of safety around water, survival swimming, and water-based environmental education. Volunteers receive a WaterStrong t-shirt, swim cap, gift card of appreciation, and a light meal. Email to volunteer at the 5/18 EcoSwim clinic
Lake Oswego Library water safety outreach
Kicked off with a scavenger hunt around the children’s section to find all the hidden water safety gear, we’ll share basic lifesaving tips for an age-appropriate audience. Think: temperature awareness, visibility, flotation, calm breaths, lifejackets, and a little creativity for real life scenarios.
Walking Rivers global event
WalkingRivers is a worldwide call to walk along your favorite river for at least 5-7km dressed in blue, to show that rivers are awesome and worth being taken care of. It is more than an event; it’s a movement to remind us of our shared responsibility to cherish and safeguard the waterbodies that unite us.
Rivers weave through landscapes, communities, and cultures connecting us through uncountable stories and memories. In 2024, Walking Rivers celebrated the first-ever event with over 2,000 participants across five continents from across the globe who all believed that rivers are worth enjoying and protecting.
WaterStrong is thrilled to join the global WalkingRivers movement, a project organized through our friends at Fundacion Botin in Madrid, Spain.
MLK Elementary lifejacket distribution event
This is a major highlight for the year. We have been invited to deliver 350 lifejackets and safety whistles to every student in this Northeast Portland elementary school, pre-K through 5th grade. Here’s what the principal wrote in her weekly newsletter: I remember in high school, one of my friends lost her younger brother due to an inner-tubing accident where no one was wearing life jackets. Along with many of you, we all know someone, or have maybe even had a close call ourselves, with water danger. Thank you so much to Michelle for organizing the lifejacket distribution yesterday. Even if those jackets don’t get used, the water safety information will help keep kids at our school safe. During our next DREAM assembly, students will hear more from this partner organization, WaterStrong.
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
Red Cross Lifeguarding + Waterfront Skills certification
The Red Cross Waterfront Skills module, integrated into the Lifeguarding course, equips lifeguards with the knowledge and skills to prevent and respond to emergencies in non-surf, open-water areas like parks, resorts, and camps.
The course is open to anyone 15+, with discounts for WaterStrong volunteers and EcoSwim families. Participants must pass a swim skills test and complete online coursework.
The trainer for this course is Marlys Cappaert, a certified Red Cross LGI, professional Swimtrek guide, and WaterStrong volunteer.
Key Skills and Knowledge:
Water Rescue Techniques: Lifeguards learn how to enter the water for rescues, including run-and-swim entries, and techniques for assisting individuals in distress.
Search and Retrieval: Learn search patterns and techniques for locating missing persons in open water, potentially using equipment like nets or masks and fins.
Equipment: Learn to use equipment specific to waterfront environments, such as rescue tubes, surfboards, or paddleboards, depending on the environment.
First Aid and CPR: The course reinforces first aid and CPR/AED skills, essential for responding to emergencies in and out of the water.
Water Safety: Learn about the specific hazards of open-water environments, such as currents, depths, and aquatic life, and how to mitigate these risks.
Environmental Awareness: Gain knowledge about the specific waterfront environment where they are lifeguarding, including potential hazards and safety protocols.
Course Structure:
This is is a multi-day class delivered online and in person at a community center pool and classroom setting. The course is a blended learning format, combining online training sessions with in-person skills training and water rescue activities. Participants must successfully complete all portions including the prerequisite swimming skills evaluations and the final skills assessment.
The final skills assessment includes timed response scenarios, surveillance rotations, and multiple-rescuer response scenarios.
General run of the program (planned):
Thursday 4/17 (Lifeguarding): 5p - 9p
Friday 4/18 (Lifeguarding): 9a - 9p
Saturday 4/19 (Lifeguarding / Waterfront skills): 9a - 5p
Sunday 4/20 (Waterfront skills): 9a - 2p
Certification: American Red Cross certifications in Lifeguarding, First Aid and CPR/AED (valid for 2 years) issued on the same day as you successfully complete the class.
Fee (discounts for WaterStrong volunteers and EcoSwim participants)
LG+WF: $350 per person
LG only: $300 per person
WF only: (must have current LG certification): $100 per person
Register: https://forms.gle/jwLPtJgXLC1x2vEj9
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
Earth Day 2025 - beach cleanups
Join WaterStrong and Earth Day celebrants everywhere in a beach cleanup. Details TBD
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
EcoSwim Clinic (pool based)
Share your love for the water. EcoSwim clinics are delivered in partnership with mission-aligned organizations to reach underserved families. With low instructor:participant ratios, we build a foundation in the essentials of safety around water, survival swimming, and water-based environmental education. Volunteers needed. Volunteers receive a WaterStrong t-shirt, swim cap, gift card of appreciation, and a light meal. Email to volunteer for the 4/6 EcoSwim clinic
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
Rainy Days Book Club: Blue Mind by Wallace Nichols
Please join WaterStrong for a facilitated conversation about how being in, near, around or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected and better at what you do. In our first ever WaterStrong Rainy Days Book Club, we are reading Blue Mind by Wallace Nichols.
Please join a facilitated conversation about the book and the human experience of water on World Water Day, March 22nd, from 5-6:30p via Teams.
Here's a little teaser to entice you to join the discussion:
A Texan named Bobby Lane came to Operation Surf to cross surfing off his bucket list; after returning home from the camp he planned to kill himself. Lane, twenty-seven years old, suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in the US Marine Corps in Iraq. Back home, like so many other he battled PTSD and couldn’t sleep due to incessant nightmares. He says Operation Surf not only changed his life, it saved his life. Surfing also allowed him to get his first good night’s sleep in years. Dreams about water replaced his midnight terrors, Blue Mind at its most potent. “Giving up on life isn’t an option,” he says. Now, as I see it, if life gets too hard, there’s always the ocean. (p.171)
Read as much of the book as you can, and log in for a friendly conversation.
EcoSwim clinic (pool based)
Share your love for the water. EcoSwim clinics are delivered in partnership with mission-aligned organizations to reach underserved families. With low instructor:participant ratios, we build a foundation in the essentials of safety around water, survival swimming, and water-based environmental education. Volunteers receive a WaterStrong t-shirt, swim cap, gift card of appreciation, and a light meal. Email to volunteer for the 3/9 EcoSwim clinic
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
EcoSwim clinic (pool-based)
Share your love for the water. EcoSwim clinics are delivered in partnership with mission-aligned organizations to reach underserved families. With low instructor:participant ratios, we build a foundation in the essentials of safety around water, survival swimming, and water-based environmental education. Volunteers needed. Volunteers receive a WaterStrong t-shirt, swim cap, gift card of appreciation, and a light meal. Email us to volunteer
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid / CPR / AED workshop
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric basic First Aid / CPR / AED certification workshop
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Register here
Red Cross Adult & Pediatric Firs Aid/CPR/AED training
Save a life! Learn to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. This class is taught in-person in an interactive classroom setting. Upon successful completion, participants receive a valid 2-year digital Red Cross certificate for Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Open to everyone ages 12+. Discounts are available for WaterStrong volunteers, EcoSwim participant families and Next Adventure staff. Delivered at Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center on the 2d Saturday and 4th Friday of every month. Register here
EcoSwim Clinic (pool-based)
Share your love for the water. This clinic is delivered with low instructor:participant ratios, to build a foundation in the essentials of safety around water, survival swimming, and water-based environmental education.