Mr Madhav Raman1, Mr Mike Anderson2, Mr Oliver Jackson1
1The University Of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2Surf Life Saving New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
This is not your usual learn-to-swim program. Students are diving under waves and creating new experiences. To positively impact the Australian international student experience and create meaningful change in student engagement in water and beach culture, we have to be bold in our approach.
We can’t expect students to learn about safety within the confines of a classroom or enter the beach with only skills from the pool. That’s why we have created the Beach Ocean Safe (BOS) Program, an innovative and immersive experience supported by a toolkit rooted in the Water Safety for International Students (WSIS) Working Group to drive collaboration and advocacy in this space.
This initiative promotes community integration, social participation, and the potential to impact racism while engaging with Australia’s iconic volunteering institution. It brings together universities, government stakeholders, local councils, NSW Police, Royal Life Saving, and Surf Life Saving NSW to enhance international student safety.
The special interest group will highlight the power of collaboration, the use of student co-design, and how to include data analytics. It will also help you develop skills to advocate within your institutions to implement practical solutions that foster inclusivity in beach culture and create generational change.
Universities, as custodians of knowledge, must enhance water safety programs to improve international students’ experience, promoting collective safety, diversity, and community participation. These programs should empower students to engage in beach culture, potentially becoming surf lifesavers and swim instructors, thus shifting Australian cultural values and enhancing students’ sense of agency, belonging, and safety.
Biography:
Madhav Raman, a former international student, is the Engagement Officer at UNSW Health Promotion Unit. He manages the peer-to-peer Health and Wellbeing Ambassador program and delivers the UNSW Water Safety Program. Passionate about community service, he volunteers as a surf lifesaver at Coogee Surf Life Saving Club.
Mike Anderson is the Multicultural Community & Youth Education Officer at Surf Life Saving New South Wales. His work with CALD communities, new migrants, refugees, and international students fosters beach safety and belonging.
Oliver Jackson is a student and Water Safety Assistant at UNSW, advocating for water safety through peer education and outreach.