The ACA Board of Directors, Safety Education & Instruction Department, and the ACA State Directors are excited to announce a contest to encourage all ACA instructors to conduct courses and introduce more new paddlers to safe and enjoyable paddling! This is a chance to engage with your local paddling community, find or create a source of new course students, and earn some prizes along the way! To Watch the Facebook Live Video of the Contest Announcement, please click here.
It couldn’t be simpler to enter – you don’t have to do anything special; simply report your courses for teaching credit in the ACA Course Management System (CMS) – that’s it!
Participation in this contest is completely voluntary. Every ACA Instructor, IT, or ITE who reports an eligible course will be entered to win. All contest entries will be based on data entered in the ACA Course Management System (CMS) for classes conducted between Memorial Day through Labor Day (May 22nd and September 6th, 2021).
Any course taught by an Instructor/IT/ITE at a Paddle America Club (PAC) sponsored course will count as a contest entry for the individual Instructor/IT/ITE and for the PAC. Course reports must be properly submitted via the CMS by midnight on October 1, 2021. Winners will be announced at the ACA National Virtual Meeting in Fall 2021.
Contest Categories:
- Instructor
- Instructor Trainer / Educator
- Paddle America Club (PAC)
There will be a Grand Prize for the highest performer in each category. There will also be random drawings for additional prizes. The more contest entries you accumulate, the higher likelihood you have to win! All prizes will be awarded during the ACA National Virtual Meeting in Fall 2021.
Prizes Include, but are not limited to:
Grand Prize for Instructor with the most entries: $500 Cash
Grand Prize for IT/ITE with most entries: $500 Cash
Grand Prize for PAC with most entries: $500 Cash
Random drawings:
- 5 drawings for $100 Cash
- Free year of ACA membership + SEIC Dues
- Free year of PAC annual membership
- Special Feature on ACA Website & Monthly Newsletter
- Special Feature in ACA Paddle eMagazine
Contest Entry Structure: The number of contest entries (chances to win) is determined by course submissions within the CMS: using either the “EZ Skills” submission process or full course roster, if applicable. All ACA instructional disciplines are eligible: canoe, kayak, stand up paddleboarding, rafting, safety & rescue, prone paddling, and surfski.
The following course submissions will earn contest entries (chances to win). Any entry that is earned from a PAC sanctioned course will be awarded to the individual instructor as well as the PAC.
To Earn One (1) Contest Entry:
- Teach a Level 1 Skills Course Student
- Teach a Level 2 Skills Course Student
- Teach a PSF Course Student
- Teach a Level 1 Skills Assessment Student
- Teach a Level 2 Skills Assessment Student
- Teach a PSF Instructor Endorsement Candidate, Level 1 or 2 Instructor Certification, Update, or Upgrade Candidate (For ITs/ITEs only)
To Earn Two (2) Contest Entries:
- You enroll as a PSF Endorsement Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 1 Instructor Certification Course Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 2 Instructor Certification Course Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 1 Instructor Update Course Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 2 Instructor Update Course Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 1 Instructor Upgrade Candidate
- You enroll as a Level 2 Instructor Upgrade Candidate
The ACA Education Department will post informal leaderboard reports in July and August on the ACA website, so you can track your progress. These informal leaderboard reports will be based on the number of students you teach. At the end of the season, contest entries for instructors who have been certified, updated, upgraded their certifications, or earned a PSF instructor endorsement will be added to the course/student records to determine the final contest winners. All prizes will be awarded during the ACA National Virtual Meeting in Fall 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I enter the contest?
Please do not call or email the ACA staff about contest entries. Please log in to the ACA Course Management System (CMS) to submit your courses and number of students.
How do I access the Course Management System (CMS)?
Please visit the ACA website, here. The CMS system uses your standard ACA Login and Password.
The CMS system says my instructor certification is “Inactive,” but my dues and certification are up to date. How do I fix this?
This remedied by uploading a copy of your first aid and CPR credentials. To do so, please scroll to the bottom of the dashboard (the page you land on once logged in) and click the “Member Documents” link to upload a copy of your first aid and CPR cards. *Please use either a word document or PDF file type, not a jpeg image.
How do I report a course?
Once logged into the CMS, use the “Course Creation and Maintenance” tab on the left side menu bar and click “Course Registration/EZ Reporting.” Either begin a new course registration or select from any of your open/saved courses displayed on the list. Using the dropdown menus provided, indicate the course type, discipline, level, and type in information such as date(s), location, and related notes. If your skills course did NOT utilize ACA insurance, click the “yes” option when asked “Is this a non-insured, skill course EZ report?” This will allow you to enter your total number of participants and submit the course. If you conducted a skills assessment course or any type of course that utilized ACA’s insurance program, please be sure to build a course roster and follow all the appropriate steps regarding liability waivers and other insurance fees. For step-by-step instructions for all CMS features, please see the user guide posted at www.americancanoe.org/CMS
Any classes conducted between Memorial Day (May 22, 2021) and Labor Day (Sept 6, 2021) and properly submitted before midnight on October 1, 2021 will count toward the contest.