Bronze Cross courses for 2026

What do kids learn in Bronze Cross courses?

Bronze Cross training is divided into four sections: knowledge items, skill items, fitness items, and judgement items. Over this 20 hour training course, kids participate in drills and simulations within each section. After Bronze Cross certification, teen participants can become assistant lifeguards. Kids partner with a fellow trainee to conduct two-person rescues, resuscitations, and surveillance. 

Professional water safety equipment is always used in these courses, including dummies, water rings, and buoys. As in all First Aid courses, injury care and prevention is a critical focus, especially in the knowledge and skills sections. Kids learn to care for victims of drowning, spinal injuries, and water blackouts. Bronze Cross training includes simulated rescues, training with dummies submerged in water at lengthy distances that must be rescued by partnered trainees. Other simulations include more than one victim and require transporting victims.

Training challenges teens’ endurance and fitness. Swimming is a big component of water safety, and kids’ confidence in the water increases their chances of success. Endurance challenges are also part of coursework. For example, in the fitness items section, kids are asked to swim 400 m in less than 15 minutes. To do this, kids must know swimming strokes and how to tread water. 

Quick judgement is required for high-pressure situations, where students must make decisions to prevent further injury to the victim(s). 

Bronze Cross courses do include final examinations, in which children complete various tasks and drills to receive a medal, crest, and certification card. Children develop leadership and responsibility skills in these programs. Prerequisites for Bronze Cross training are the Bronze Medallion and standard First Aid training courses. Prices for Bronze Cross courses start at $200. Kids must be 13 and older to participate.

Further advantages of Bronze Cross training

Yes, Bronze Cross courses keep the body active. However, many other benefits await children in these courses. These include:

• They gain leadership skills like empathy, adaptability, and decisiveness. Training is supportive and foundational for growth and maturity, as kids learn from the examples set by their instructors and peers. 
• It opens up job opportunities for highschool or postsecondary students. Aside from lifeguarding, they can also become summer camp counsellors. Careers in social work, medicine, or childcare also benefit from First Aid training
• Extracurricular academic development. The development of responsibility and problem solving skills can benefit kids in academics. They feel energized by the sense of accomplishment after completing training and gain confidence.
• Mixed courses. Bronze Cross training available in combined courses, in which students receive more than one First Aid certification. Mixed courses are a great way to receive full certification early on.

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