Engaging with Communities at Risk:
Strategies and Best Practices
November 2010
Objectives
• Enhance understanding of the unique needs and
challenges in reaching Aboriginal communities with
swimming/water safety education
• Share tools and resources for engaging Aboriginal
communities in your programming and enhancing
customer relationships
• Present findings of RC/Safe Kids pilot program with First
Nations communities
• Share strategies for preparing and training staff to use
tools to enhance program delivery
Presentation Outline
• How We Make a Difference
• Working with First Nations Communities - Collaborative
Model
• Pilot program development and results
• Lessons Learned/Best Practices
• Planning your engagement strategy
Steps for planning a new initiative
Staff training
Tools and Resources for engagement
Engaging with Communities at Risk: Strategies
and Best Practices
Section 1
How we make a difference
How Red Cross Makes a Difference
• Over the past 60 years, we’ve taught more than 30
million Canadians to swim and stay safe
• Our reach through Swimming & Water Safety:
More than 1 million people enrolled per year
21,000 certified as Water Safety Instructors every
year
Thousands of people through our public education
campaigns
3,500 Authorized Providers in communities across
Canada (municipalities, local pools, private pools)
History of engagement with Aboriginal
Communities
• Disaster Services - Supporting evacuation from
Aboriginal communities due to disasters such as
forest fires and flooding (Mistissini Reserve forest
fires 2006, BC forest fires 2003, Kashechewan Reserve
flooding evacuations 2005, power outages in remote
Aboriginal communities in B.C. 2006)
• RespectED: Violence & Abuse prevention Training of more than 50 aboriginal prevention
educators; partnership with Nunavut Department of
Education for training of students
History of engagement with Aboriginal
Communities (Cont’d)
• Water Safety and First Aid
drowning prevention initiatives in northern and remote
communities
training of ambulance attendants as First Responders
“Come and Learn” Head Start program - more than 200 preschoolers provided ten-week swimming lesson program in SK,
2007
pilot program delivering swimming lessons and leadership
training in six First Nations communities in Ontario, 2009
How Safe Kids Canada Makes a Difference
• Education and resources (web, TIP line, pamphlets,
tools)
• Engaging with at risk communities
• Knowledge Translation (turning research into prevention
strategies)
• Focus Groups
In 2007 with Funding from FNHIB did a survey of Aboriginal
communities to determine their IP priorities
• Drowning prevention was the top issue
• Created and advisory circle to pursue how best to address
this with Aboriginal communities
Engaging with Communities at Risk: Strategies
and Best Practices
Section 2
Working with Communities at Risk
Why target at-risk groups?
• Need for training/education is high
• Opportunity to expand and diversify clientele
• Youth engagement/employment opportunities
Considerations for engagement
• The need
• The challenges
• Culture
• Approach
Collaborative Model
Safe
Kids
Canada
• Funding ?
First Nations
Engaging with Communities at Risk: Strategies
and Best Practices
Section 3
Program Development & Results
Program Development
Phase 1 – Research,
Consultation and Development
Phase 2 - Delivery
Phase 3 – Feedback and
Evaluation
Phase 1 – Research, Consultation and
Development
• Review of existing models and resources for injury
prevention education in First Nations communities
• Engage First Nations communities in the process
• Development of Advisory Committee for input into
resource development
• Development of water safety resources for children,
teachers and parents
• Distribution of resources to First Nations communities
in Ontario
New Resources
• Pamphlets
“S.P.L.A.S.H.E.S into Summer
Safety” pamphlet
“S.L.I.D.E.S. into Winter
Safety” pamphlet
• On-line safety stories
Summer Safety story – “One
Day on a Fishing Trip”
Winter Safety story – “The
Birthday Gift”
• Community Resource Guide
On-line Resources
One Day on a
Fishing Trip
The Birthday Gift
Phase 2 – Direct Delivery – Swimming Lessons,
Water Safety and Leadership
• Coordinated with pilot communities to schedule
swimming lessons and instructor training
• Assisted with promotion of program within the
communities and the registration process
• Assisted with recruitment and hiring of Water Safety
Instructors
• Developed staff training resource guide for working
with First Nations communities
• Provided program materials, teaching and safety
equipment
Phase 2 – Direct Delivery – Swimming Lessons,
Water Safety and Leadership
• Over 100 children
received swimming and
water safety education
• 12 young adults from 6
pilot communities
received leadership
training for certification as
Water Safety Instructors
Phase 3 – Feedback and Evaluation
• Feedback and evaluation forms administered to
parents, WSI candidates, community contacts
• Identification of benefits to participants, instructors
and the community
• Incorporation of lessons learned into best practices
for future programming
Participant Benefits
Knowledge
• Identify and manage risk safely
• Survival skills and knowledge
Skills
• Improved individual abilities
• Increased physical activity
• Increased muscular strength
Attitude
• Self empowerment, improving
self-esteem
• Fun, enjoyment and participation
Instructor benefits
• Ability to provide safe
learning opportunities
• Respond to emergencies
• Develop lesson plans
• Skills to work in aquatics
• Knowledge of risk
management and water
safety education
• Communication and
leadership skills
Benefits to First Nations communities
• Access to water safety education tools and
resources that meet the needs of their
community
• Input into resource development and evaluation
• Engagement with other First Nations community
members to share knowledge and experiences
• Raised community awareness of injury
prevention strategies, water safety promotion
and education
Feedback
“Swimming and water safety are life skills and something
that these kids will use for their rest of their life.”
~ Parent of swimming participant from Six Nations
“I would like to teach swimming lessons again because I
really liked working with the kids and teaching swimming
skills could save a life.”
~Recently certified Water Safety Instructor from Wasauksing First Nation
“I think that all children who live by a lake should have the
opportunity to learn the basics like treading water and
self safety by the water.”
~Community Contact from Nipissing First Nation
Results
• Over 100 kids received swimming lessons and water safety
education
• 12 adults received Water Safety Instructor training
• 134 reserves received new water safety and injury prevention
resources
• 87% of parent respondents said that their child’s confidence in
their swimming abilities changed “a lot” or “a huge amount”; 91%
indicated their child’s pride in their abilities changed “a lot” or “a
huge amount”
• 87% of instructor respondents said that the skills and information
learned in the training prepared them to be a swimming instructor
• 100% of community respondents said they would support their
organization’s involvement in a similar program again
Best Practices/Lessons Learned
• When designing programs/initiatives, need to understand
barriers/challenges to access programming
(transportation, cost, limited prior exposure, cultural
relevance etc.)
• Important to engage the community and engage the
appropriate people within the community
• Better health promotion practices involve the audience in
the development of the message, as well as all
subsequent stages of programming
• Participant learning is enhanced by practices that are
relevant to them (storytelling, symbols, scenarios they
can relate to)
Engaging with Communities at Risk: Strategies
and Best Practices
Section 4
Planning Your Engagement
Strategy
Steps for beginning a new initiative with
Aboriginal Communities
Step 1 – familiarize yourself with needs,
challenges and culture of Aboriginal
communities
Step 2 – identify your objectives in engaging
with FN communities
Step 3 – initiate contact with community to
discuss what you’re considering and what the
funding options are; engage them in input and
process
Steps for beginning a new initiative with
Aboriginal Communities (Cont’d)
Step 4 – Seek funding
Step 5 – Design program/initiative to meet
needs as identified by the community
Step 6 – Provide training to staff
Step 7 – Implement plan in consultation with
community
Step 8 – Feedback and evaluation
Staff Training
• What do staff need to know and why?
Promote understanding and inclusion
Increase effectiveness of program delivery
• Developing your staff training
Define objectives
Provide resources (in-service training, resource
manual, guest speaker from community?)
Review and evaluate
Tools for engagement
• Funding
Public (e.g. Healthy Communities Fund)
Private foundations (e.g. Forzani Group Foundation)
Corporate (e.g. Canadian Tire Jumpstart)
• Community Contacts
• Resources
First Nations resource CD
Staff training manual & scenarios
Handout with weblinks for more information
Want more information?
• To access resources on-line visit www.redcross.ca or
www.safekidscanada.ca
• For more information on Red Cross Swimming, Water
Safety and Leadership training in Ontario call 1-888-8901997
• For more information on Safe Kids Week and other
campaigns as well as safety tools, information and
resources, visit www.safekidscanada.ca
• Visit our booth at the PRO Conference
Thank you!
Questions?