Education Coordinators

State Education Coordinators work for a state agency to help meet the U.S. Coast Guard grant requirement for each state to deliver boating safety education courses and provide public outreach around boating safety. Some states may have one or more people filling this role and some states may have this responsibility as a part of a staff member’s duties. Additionally, education coordinators can be found in a variety of departments within an agency – from Law Enforcement to Marketing or Outreach and the education coordinator may or may not report directly to that state’s BLA. One of the primary roles of the Boating Education Coordinator is to serve as the state reviewer for boating safety courses as a part of the NASBLA course review process. Often, the coordinator’s role is also to provide materials and programming for public awareness around boating safety issues in their state.
 
NASBLA's Education & Outreach Committee has developed this Boating Education Coordinator Quick Reference Guide to assist coordinators in their work in NASBLA and the recreational boating safety community.

Download a copy of the Guide
Education Coordinator's Guide

Boating Education Advisory Panel (BEAP)

A voluntary consensus body authorized by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). The panel’s mission is to strengthen boating safety through professional development opportunities for recreational boating educators. BEAP administers events, credentialing programs, and trainings for boating educators.

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)

NASBLA is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

Mission: To strengthen the ability of the state and territorial boating authorities to reduce death, injury and property damage associated with recreational boating and ensure a safe, secure, and enjoyable boating environment.

NASBLA is governed by an Executive Board consisting of the chair, vice chair, treasurer, and four members-at-large. Each member is passionate about boating safety and is using his or her term in office as an opportunity to help further NASBLA's mission in support of safe, enjoyable, and secure boating. 

Boating Law Administrators (BLAs)

BLA Graphic

What is a BLA?

BLAs are the state officials responsible for administration and enforcement of state boating laws. BLAs reflect their state/agency and its mission(s). They range from field officers to chief executives of entire departments.

State Boating Contacts

Here the link is to all the states BLA’s and education coordinators to keep in touch with other state boating program contacts.

NASBLA Committees

NASBLA employs a committee structure to identify issues and address needs in the recreational boating safety public policy realm. NASBLA’s committees function as the primary source, sounding board and national policy-setting forum for each of the significant program areas addressed in the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan. These committees develop best management practices, model procedures, model acts, position papers and other products.
 
The committees also play an important role with respect to shaping a national response to a given challenge, problem, or issue. Some issues impacting boating safety and security are resolved simply through open discussion and the exchange of ideas and experience. On the other end of the spectrum, more entrenched or long-term challenges may ultimately require a statutory or regulatory response to affect the desired outcome. NASBLA committees help the Coast Guard and other policymakers determine the appropriate response.
 
In addition to the state boating agency members, the committees include broad representation from recreational boating professionals throughout the boating industry, the nonprofit sector, international interests, the boating public, and federal and local agencies.
 
Signing up for committees usually happens in August. If you are interested in serving on a committee, contact the NASBLA staff person, committee chair, or let your state’s boating law administrator know of your interest.

Education & Outreach Committee

The Education and Outreach Committee provides guidance, support, and expertise to advance boating safety, develop national education, and outreach program recommendations.

Program recommendations:

  • Advance the strategic plans of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program and NASBLA;
  • Incorporate best practices and current research;
  • Support the implementation of national standards for boating education;
  • Identify effective innovations in education and outreach; 
  • Develop communication strategies using targeted marketing and educational tactics; and 
  • Connect the public, member organizations and stakeholders with the products of the committee and others.

Education and Outreach Committee members are assembled into project teams, taking the lead on specific, assigned charges in four categories, and completing significant monitoring and resource activities. 

The bulk of committee activities are conducted online and via teleconference. 

Paddlesports Committee

NASBLA's Paddlesports Committee provides a venue for a diverse group of stakeholders to engage with NASBLA members in productive dialogue to find actionable opportunities to partner and promote paddlesports while growing a culture of safety across the United States so that over time the incidence of accident and injuries declines even while participation increases.
 
The Committee strives to develop recommendations and work products to the NASBLA membership based on the best data available and professional judgment of its diverse members.

National Boating Standards Panel

The National Boating Education Standards, originally adopted by the NASBLA membership in 1999, are intended to prescribe the minimum body of knowledge to effect safe, legal, and enjoyable recreational boating and to serve as a basis for boating education courses approved by NASBLA and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard. The process for development of American National Standards is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). NASBLA was recognized as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer in 2014.
 
 

NASBLA Approved Boating Courses

All courses with NASBLA approval including approved thru dates. Several ways to narrow search by using the search function. List of Approved Courses.