Penn State Hazleton to hold American Red Cross lifeguard clinics

HAZLETON, Pa. - Penn State Hazleton will offer lifeguard certification and recertification clinics through the American Red Cross in April, with testing on March 30.

The lifeguard certification and recertification clinics will be held in the swimming pool in the Physical Education Building at Penn State Hazleton from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. Those seeking recertification are asked to bring proof of their previous American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification.

To enroll in either clinic, participants must be at least 15 years old before the last scheduled class session and must successfully complete a swim test before classes begin. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The swim test will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 30. During the swim test, participants must complete the following:

Prerequisite 1: Swim-tread-swim sequence

• Swim 150 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.
  • Swimming on the back or side is not permitted.
  • Swim goggles are allowed.
• Maintain position at the surface of the water for two minutes by treading water using only the legs.
• Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.

Prerequisite 2: Timed event

• Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds.
  • Starting in the water, swim 20 yards.
  • The face may be in or out of the water.
  • Swim goggles are not allowed.
• Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
• Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face at or near the surface.
• Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.

If a participant is unable to successfully complete the swim test, they will receive a refund minus a $25 administrative fee.

Participants are required to take part in all class sessions, including completing the American Red Cross blended learning portion of the course. Participants will be sent a link for this online course component after successfully completing the swim test.

Upon successful completion of the course, an American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification, valid for two years, will be issued.

The fee for the lifeguard certification clinic is $325, and the recertification clinic fee is $250, with a 20% discount on each clinic for Penn State students, alumni and children of alumni. To receive the discount code, call 570-963-2600 or email [email protected].

Registration can be completed online at the lifeguard certification webpage or by contacting Continuing Education at 570-963-2600 or [email protected].