Promoting Student Water Sports and Cultivating Local Professional Training Talent
The Sports Administration (SA) focuses on promoting student water sports and safety. In 2024, it commissioned National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology to create the "Open Water Sports Education Center," which developed modules for "Canoeing" and "SUP" with detailed operation guidelines. This year, the SA will refine safety measures and activity materials based on feedback from the 2024 workshops, advancing the water talent training system. Since its launch, the program has supported the "Ocean Taiwan" policy, holding 266 sessions with 11,227 participants from 2021 to 2024. Additionally, 44 student experience camps with 1,898 participants have been organized to enhance water safety awareness.
During the promotion of student water sports, the SA identified a shortage and skills gap among water sports instructors at front-line schools. To address this challenge, the SA formulated the "Regional Cooperation and Open Water Sports Seed Talent Training Module" in 2024, in collaboration with regional center water sports experts. This initiative led to the development of structured modules for Open Water Safety, Canoeing, and SUP. In 2024, two talent development workshops were held in northern and southern Taiwan, enhancing water safety awareness through interactive teaching, establishing teaching indicators, core knowledge points, and practical operation methods, covering SUP and canoeing skills guidance. 55 current teachers from the northern, central, and southern Taiwan were invited to participate in the research and development of water self-rescue, canoeing, and SUP activity process design, and water sports talent training mechanism introduced to resolve the shortage of water sports instructors and improve the professional quality of water activity personnel, nurturing a high-quality water sports environment.
Additionally, water sports instructor training will be expanded to strengthen the development model for teaching talent and establish a foundation for a systematic operation mechanism. The aim is to integrate talent resources, build team consensus, and create an advanced, diverse water activity promotion system. The program will also continue identifying challenges in promoting student water sports and developing solutions. Regional water sports programs will mandate water safety education, including self-assessments and safety checks, to improve students' understanding of water sports and safety.
The SA also stated that, in terms of horizontal links, regional center schools have actively visited and assisted many satellite schools. The cooperation mechanism has enhanced water safety education, with 49 events held. In the future, the SA will continue to expand student engagement in open water sports by leveraging the resources and partnerships of regional center schools. These efforts aim to increase participation across all educational levels, cultivate students’ awareness of water safety, and promote the concept of "getting close to the ocean and learning from the ocean." Ultimately, this will contribute to enhancing ocean literacy among students throughout Taiwan.
