Community education plays a vital role in aquatic safety. SLST provides a number of course that help understand the surf along, with community courses in first aid and resuscitation.

School education programs provide a popular and important introduction to the surf environment for many kids. SLST currently provides education packages through its Surf Survival, Surf Awareness, Surf Smart and Surf Safety programs. These programs are specially designed to give students an understanding of the surf environment and give them basic survival and rescue skills. SLSA also extends its school education to rural and remote communities through its Telstra Beach to Bush program.

SLST also extends its school education to rural and remote communities through its ‘Beach to Bush’ program.

The Telstra Beach To Bush program, a joint community initiative between Surf Life Saving Australia and Telstra, is the largest and most innovative surf safety education program in the country.

SLSA statistics reveal beachgoers who live more than 50 kilometres from beaches are over-represented in drowning statistics.

Over a rolling two year period, Surf Life Saving Tasmania and program partner Telstra, will be providing basic surf education to every grade 1 and 2 student in Tasmania.

The Telstra Beach To Bush program involves trained surf lifesavers, armed with beach signs, safety flags and rescue boards, delivering an interactive 45 to 60 minute education session featuring;

• A demonstration of warning signs
• A demonstration of basic surf rescue equipment
• Video and interactive sessions

While the Telstra Beach to Bush program focuses primarily on beach safety, it also touches upon general aquatic safety skills to ensure children are safe in their own backyards.

The 2009 Telstra Beach To Bush program will reach over 3500 Grade 1 and 2 students.

SLSA and Telstra are committed to increasing and improving the level of surf safety education in schools around the nation. Telstra is a proud partner of SLSA and also assists surf life saving clubs across Australia through direct equipment grants through the Telstra Assistance Fund.