The six-day course will bring together representatives from National Federations around Europe, empowering them to become the driving force behind the Discover Water programme in their own countries. Whether nations are building a learn-to-swim programme from the ground up or looking to strengthen an existing one, the training provides the tools to create sustainable, child-centred aquatic education programmes that can make a lasting impact. 

Throughout the training, participants will explore the educational philosophy behind Discover Water and develop the skills to design and deliver national programmes or include the new concepts and ideas to their existing programmes. 

The course combines curriculum development, physical literacy, water safety, safeguarding, lesson planning, practical activity delivery, assessment, monitoring and evaluation methods, equipping Country Leads to confidently train local educators and lead programme implementation in their own countries. Country Leads also receive access to the Discover Water toolkit, including: 

• The Guidebook, the programme philosophy, principles, safety, safeguarding and planning
• The Playbook, tools for curriculum development, lesson planning, programme and children assessment and programme monitoring & evaluation
• Activity cards, ready-to-use play-based aquatic activities 

Building a safer future around water 

According to the World Health Organisation, every year, an estimated 236,000 people lose their lives to drowning, with children among the most vulnerable. Around 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, making access to quality water safety education more important than ever. 

Discover Water was created by World Aquatics to address this global challenge through an innovative approach that combines water safety, swimming competence, aquatic literacy and holistic child development. The programme helps children aged 6 to 12 gain the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to stay safe in and around water while encouraging a lifelong connection with aquatic activities. 

When speaking about the programme, Vivienne Holt, a World Aquatics Discover Water trainer stated; “Discover Water offers a fresh perspective on learn-to-swim and water safety programmes, by looking beyond swimming skills to develop the whole child through physical literacy which in turn encourages children to develop a lifelong interest and participation in aquatic activities. Discover Water is uniquely placed to enhance and strengthen existing national federations learn-to-swim programmes rather than duplicating or replacing them.” 

A growing global movement 

Since its launch in 2024, Discover Water has continued to expand across the globe, creating a growing network of trained Country Leads committed to improving water safety and aquatic participation. 

More than 60 Country Leads have already been trained through continental courses held across Africa, Asia and the Americas, helping National Federations develop local programmes tailored to their own communities. Beyond their initial training, Country Leads become part of a global Discover Water community - a network offering ongoing support, additional training opportunities and knowledge exchange, where leads can share experiences, learn from one another and continue to grow together. 

Now, the baton passes to Europe.  

As Discover Water continues to grow, the training in Bergen represents another important step towards World Aquatics’ vision of creating safer communities, empowering educators and ensuring more children around the world can enjoy the benefits of being safe, confident and active in and around water.