Martha’s Vineyard will have 16 additional certified American Red Cross lifeguards this season, if all 16 students pass the course offered by Jennifer Fragosa, aquatics director at the Mansion House pool.

The course which meets for 30 hours of instruction is underwritten by the Mansion House. The instruction manual includes this pledge: “I have kept a watchful eye on swimmers, offered parents peace of mind and trained hard to respond in a heartbeat.” Students must be 16 years old to take the course that certifies them to teach the Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety program.

Each year the graduates of the Mansion House lifeguarding course go on to take advantage of the numerous employment opportunities that the Island offers. Often the skills learned in the health club pool are used throughout college and beyond.

Students this year include: from West Tisbury, Robert Osmers, Griffin Gardner, Conor Estes, Ian Brew and Nicole Alexander; from Tisbury, Leif Iversen, Madeleine Penicaud and Larissa Cacique; from Edgartown, Ashley Medeiros and Michaella Gaines; from Oak Bluffs, Charles Goldthwait, Emily Goldthwait and Willy Nevin; and from Chilmark, Bennet Schwab, Luke Sederholm and Beach White.

Class time will include classroom seminar instruction, pool time, Red Cross manual assignments and other segments that focus on effective class management and teaching strategies in the aquatic setting.

For more information about this class and other Red Cross classes offered by the Mansion House, call Jennifer Fragosa at 508-693-2200, extension 123 or stop by Mansion House.