Maintaining Instructor Trainer Certification

Instructor Trainers (ITs) represent the pinnacle of instruction certification in Canada. Paddle Canada knows it is critical for ITs to remain active and current, as it is their knowledge, skills and experience that is passed down to instructors, and from there to paddlers.

As leaders in the paddling community, ITs have additional responsibilities to the paddling community and Paddle Canada. These include meaningful contribution to the growth and development of the program, and to their local paddling community, as well as development of Instructors and other Instructor Trainers.

Maintaining IT certification allows the IT to offer Paddle Canada sanctioned skill and instructor courses and to use the Paddle Canada name and logo, per the Paddle Canada Logo & Trademark Policy.

The IT certification period expires on December 31st of the fourth year from the date of certification, provided the annual requirements are met as outlined below.

Annual Requirements

Maintain annual membership in Paddle Canada.

Attend any annual IT meetings via videoconference for each applicable discipline. IT’s who are unable to attend, are required to watch a recording and successfully complete an online quiz.

ITs must complete all requirements before they are able to register or report courses for the calendar year.

Quadrennial Requirements

The IT has until December 31st of the fourth year following certification, or certification renewal, to complete the following:

1. Register, teach and report at least one Paddle Canada Instructor course, or certify an instructor through mentorship.
2. Complete two of the professional contribution options below. Instructor Trainers can complete two different options, or the same option twice provided they are distinct.
• Option 1: Mentor an apprentice IT (does include apprenticeships used in point 1. above).
• Option 2: Register, teach and report a professional development clinic.
• Option 3: Successfully complete another Paddle Canada Instructor Trainer certification.

Once all the above certification renewal requirements are achieved all Instructor Trainer certifications are renewed for a period of four years from December 31st. Maintaining IT certification automatically maintains all Instructor certifications. This policy will be reviewed in 2025.

Lapsed Instructor Trainer

Instructor Trainers who do not maintain the annual requirements for a calendar year will automatically have their IT certification status changed to lapsed.

To regain active certification, the lapsed Instructor Trainer who is in their first year of default must complete the annual requirements. The lapsed Instructor Trainer who is beyond one year of default must complete the annual requirements and pay the lapsed surcharge.

Inactive Instructor Trainer

Instructor Trainers who do not complete all their quadrennial requirements will automatically have their IT certification status changed to inactive.

An inactive Instructor Trainer must be a current instructor member of Paddle Canada before the reactivation process is started.

To regain active certification, the inactive IT must co-teach and be assessed on at least one full Instructor course taught by a qualified IT. The reactivation will be at a level not higher than that of the registered course.

An inactive IT co-teaching a course must be listed on the course registration and course report as an assistant.

Retired Instructor Trainer

After two years of holding an inactive certification, that is a total of six years since their previous certification or certification renewal, the IT’s certification status will be changed to retired.

To regain active certification, the retired IT must undertake the normal provisions of an IT apprenticeship.