River Safety Stickers

“I am excited to carry this project with me wherever the future takes me!”

Background Information

Alec Getzloff is an avid kayaker in Boise, Idaho and was very alarmed with the amount of drownings over the summer of 2013. He created and implemented a project educating river users about the dangers they face while recreating on bodies of water. To do this, he and a small group of team members individually approached river users and started dialogues, educating them about the real dangers or rivers and whitewater. He designed a sticker to give to people after talking with them. This sticker led them to a website that gave more information about how to be safe and have fun on the water.

“I noticed a lack of safety information readily available in Idaho and decided to change that.”
– Alec

Implementation of Project

To implement this project, Alec had to overcome many problems. First, he had to reach out to community members who were excited and willing to help with his project. After he found a group of four people to help him, he contacted the organizers of the North Fork Championship. He talked with them extensively about where team members would be located on the racecourse. The next action day that he would host was at the Boise White Water Park. When his team got to the park, the minimal number of users present surprised them, and they were unable to spread the word to the projected number of people. The final event that he held was at Boise High School on November 21st, 2014. Alec talked to teachers about hosting his presentation in their classrooms, and put an advertisement on the daily announcements. Alec and his team hosted the presentation and taught high school students safety on and around the river.

“I was very glad to have a very strong action team to support me all the way through my project.”
– Alec

Results of Project

This project went very well and over 70 people were reached and educated about the dangers of river features and whitewater. They talked with river users residing in all corners of the globe, as well as people from age seven to sixty-three. Alec had one person taking attendance, one filming, and one handing out stickers; these were his action team members.

“It was very important for my team to reach people from around the world so that once people return to their home communities, they can spread the word and create a larger impact.”
– Alec

What’s Next

Next summer (2015) Alec is going to continue to promote river safety, however there will be a small change. Rather than creating events to specifically focus on river safety, he is going to bring stickers with him whenever he is on the river and spread the word. Alec is a junior at Boise High School and is in the graduating class of 2016. After high school, Alec wants to attend the University of Puget Sound and peruse a premedical career.

“I am excited to carry this project with me wherever the future takes me!”
– Alec