Certification for Our Team
July 2024 was a big month for Swimdo! Our instructors took a huge leap forward by completing the STA International Swimming Teacher Certification—a major milestone in our mission to bring world-class swim education to communities where we offer our program.
This achievement was made possible thanks to Amy Holden, one of our incredible volunteers who first joined us in 2022. From the moment she arrived, Amy saw the dedication and heart in our team, and she dreamed of helping us take our program to the next level. She rolled up her sleeves, navigated all the paperwork, earned her certification as a swim instructor trainer and assessor, and returned to Bali to run the course herself!
Despite the language barrier, Amy’s teaching shone through. With our staff translating the materials into Bahasa Indonesia, every instructor could fully dive into the week-long training—complete with classroom learning, pool practice, and plenty of laughter in between.
Over the course of the week, Amy shared vital teaching skills and strategies to strengthen our program and expand our curriculum. Our instructors learned:
- How children of different ages learn best
- International safety standards and structured lesson planning
- The techniques for each swimming stroke and how to analyze them
- How to plan, deliver, and assess lessons effectively
And here’s the best part: all 21 Swimdo instructors passed the final assessment! We couldn’t be prouder. This training boosted our team’s confidence and gave us fresh, structured tools to make each of our 10 swimming classes more impactful, fun, and—most importantly—safe.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to:
- Add even more water safety and confidence-building skills to our lessons
- Update our Standard Operating Procedures with new emergency response plans
- Introduce basic swimming strokes into our curriculum to give every child more skills for life in and around the water
With these new qualifications, our team is ready to make an even bigger impact—helping more kids stay safe, grow confident, and fall in love with the water.