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Thread: Well it's finally happening... we're opening a mermaid swim school

  1. #1
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Well it's finally happening... we're opening a mermaid swim school

    So! Our company has actually had a *mobile* swim school since 2010, where we'd provide materials and instructions and travel around doing day or weekend long workshops based on the age group. It's been a good time.

    I was propositioned a few times by the woman who runs the other swim school in Canada but for several reasons I'm not on board with her stuff.

    I originally liked the mobile based stuff (which we'll continue to do) because it's not my goal to just run a school all week. I like the flexibility. So when in chats with our local pool about several workshops we plan to offer, we came to some great understandings over how a school can be done to accommodate the demand and what the community would like, along with our company's hectic schedule.

    My approach is a bit different than the other swim schools. First of all, I am doing it entirely in character. Sean and I will be working with a lifeguard and a swim instructor with groups of 15 at a time divided by age/swim levels. Sean and the lifeguard will provide extra support for safety, while the swim instructor and I will provide the course materials.

    It's important to me that my info lines up with what they offer in swim classes, so I am excited to be working with another professional.

    A big focus on what we're doing is the learning through play teaching approach, and focusing on safe use of monofins and mermaid tails. We'll be putting out a press release and doing some media in tandem with the pool. I am hoping this will help some more with the monofin concerns, and show how empowering they can be.

    For now I am teaching 2-4 short classes in one day, once a week for 10 weeks. Once the schedule for the pool changes we'll be looking at adding additional. The first set will just be elementary aged kids. We already have the materials but plan on expanding classes for teens and adults.

    We've got some techniques we'll be working on, safety procedures, games, and at the end of the 10 weeks we'll be doing a photoshoot and a videoshoot for all the participants to take home.

    We're using a combination of Linden's body glove monofins and finis children's monofins until our order from Body glove comes in so we can use entirely them for the kids. The teens and adults will be using finfun but we plan on working up to monofins like foil etc, and perhaps even hosting a workshop where adults/teens can make their own customized fabric tail.

    We're really excited about it. It has never seemed to be the right time in the past to settle down and start up a school But with all the monofin issues I think it's important more, now than ever.

    Fins crossed!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Jaffa's Avatar
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    Yay! Grats Raina! The kids and adults will have such awesome fun!
    Formerly known as ireneho

  3. #3
    Congratulations! Excited for the new direction for you!
    "SeaSparkles" "Spindrift" "Enakai" "Cuddlefish" "Confused"
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  4. #4
    Senior Member Pod of Cali RomanLaveau's Avatar
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    Congrats love! Hope to work with you someday!!!! Keep going strong
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  5. #5
    Congrats! Good luck with it!

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  6. #6
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod Mermaid Aika's Avatar
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    Congratulations Raina! Can't wait to hear more about it!!

  7. #7
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    Thanks everyone! I am both excited and terrified! lol

  8. #8
    Yay another Mermaid school! Please share the details of any website or Facebook page you have for the school and I'll add it to the list of known schools around the world thread!

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    Member formerly known as leomar

  9. #9
    What was the key to convincing the pool to allow you to run classes? Mermaid BellaLina of Sydney Australia is having a really hard time at the moment finding any pool that will let her run classes.

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    Member formerly known as leomar

  10. #10
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Honestly, the aquatics manager convinced me. I approached him with our weekend workshops that we've been doing aboard as there has been demand for them here. He's really big into monofins which is just my luck to be honest. He's very open minded and was the first pool we ever did work for.

    Also, the school isn't going to have it's own page or website. Just be another facet of our company.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
    Also, the school isn't going to have it's own page or website. Just be another facet of our company.
    Thats OK if you have any info such as a subpage on your current website that people can read more about the classes, I can link to that.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod Saren's Avatar
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    This is great!! I'm hoping all the best for this venture!
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    user formerly known as Fayrn

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  14. #14
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Quote Originally Posted by leomar View Post
    Thats OK if you have any info such as a subpage on your current website that people can read more about the classes, I can link to that.
    I must have missed this sorry: http://halifaxmermaids.weebly.com/swim-school.html

  15. #15
    where is this mermaid school located? do you travel to ohio? if so how can i get involved? i see this thread is pretty old but i thought id give it a try! someone please message me back i need to make friends asap!!!

  16. #16
    Hey there, the swim school is in Halifax, Canada. I am a Canadian Mer who will be in Ohio this September. Are you closet Athens? We could meet up

  17. #17
    @Arquamella - You're in Ohio as well? I've found so few mers in Ohio and none are close to my area. If you're further south, a meet up would be a blast!

    @TheAutisticMermaid - you'll be in Ohio?! I'm not too far from the Athens area myself. I hope your trip goes well!
    It's like the tide, always falling and rising
    I will carry you here in my heart
    You'll remind me
    That come what may, I know the way
    I am Moana - Disney's Moana

  18. #18
    Yep I will be in Ohio in September for a few months and will have my silicone tail with me. We should meet up. Do you have a tail...PM me

  19. #19
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    this is a canadian mermaid school we dont travel to the US for swimschool, sorry!

  20. #20
    awesome cool!!! thank you guys for responding im located in amelia/cincinnati ohio but i can most likely make a trip to athens, i dont have a silicone tail yet, i just have a beginner fun fins tail but it works well enough for now! i would love to meet all of you and join a pod! im new to mernetwork and mermaiding but i would eventually like to become a pro! im down for hanging out and making new friends so you will defiantly get a message from me if you have responded to this thread.
    you can also find me on facebook under the same name if you would like to add me! i keep up with most of my networking and messaging there since its easier! thank you so much for contacting me!

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