All over the country, often far from the sea, members of a special RNLI team are saving young lives.

They are not launching lifeboats or plunging into rough water - but they need to be brave enough to stand up in front of a class of U-year-oldsThe work of the Institution's eight regional education officers and their volunteer colleagues is having a growing impact in hundreds of schools around the country. Their job is to visit as many schools and youth groups as they can to teach messages about sea safety and what the RNLI is all about.

They are led by Education Manager Lisa Linscott, a former drama teacher from Luton, and the theory behind the project is simple.

'The better educated people are about sea safety the less likely they are to get into trouble,' Lisa says. 'Education is saving lives/ Lisa and her team have produced teachers' and pupils' packs aimed at helping schools deliver the National Curriculum through lessons with a nautical flavour.The response so far has been encouraging. Primary schools have requested more than 4,500 All Aboard! packs and secondary schools have asked for more than 1,500 Get On Board! packs. These contain magazines, posters, teachers' notes and activity sheets exploring sea safety and the work of the RNLi. They fit with two parts of the National Curriculum: Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship.

A third pack of materials, Mayday, produced jointly with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, includes an interactive CD-ROM, which supports teaching in seven subjects, including Numeracy, Literacy and Geography.

The schools have the option of using the materials entirely themselves or accepting the RNLI's offer to send an education officer or volunteer to talk to the children direct.

Lisa has no doubt about the best method. 'The impact in a school of having a person from outside going in and giving a talk is irreplaceable,' she says. 'When someone from the RNLI tells anecdotes from first-hand experience it is absolutely gripping.' Hamish MacKenzie, Regional Education Officer for Greater London, says children love it when he explains the role of a lifeboat crew member and asks for volunteers to dress up in full-size kit.

Beach safety takes a central role in talks, and the RNLI is especially keen to reach children who live far from the sea. 'Seventy per cent of the kids who get into trouble on our beaches are from urban areas/ says Hamish.

'You get relatively few kids from coastal areasdrowning because they are already aware of the dangers of the sea.1 He says there is a fine line between warning children of the dangers and scaring them. 'You want them to feel comfortable and safe on the beach, but you atso want to warn them.' Dave Cooling, Regional Education Officer for the SouthWest, based in Bristol, says:'The people who are most vulnerable to losing their life on the beach are those going for the first time. They have no idea what the risks are and what the flags and warning signs mean.' T The education team also arranges school and youth group visits to lifeboat stations and beaches and, as reported in the autumn 2004 issue of the Lifeboat, is helping youngsters achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Award through a residential scheme involving RNLI beach lifeguards.

Two exciting pilot projects are due to be launched next year in association with the RNLI's Beach Safety team. The first, City to Surf, will offer tutorials to children in surf life saving. The second project will involve beach lifeguards travelling to a city for a week, and giving sea safety talks to as many schools as will have them. Lisa expects these visits to have a massive impact on children.

As with the RNLI's adult sea safety work (see pages 2-5) it is too early yet to measure the impact of the RNLI's education programme on children's behaviour, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest they are being influenced. Dave was delighted to overhear two small boys discussing a presentation he had just made at their school assembly. One of them summed it up in a single word:'Wicked!' Would you consider joining the RNLI's education volunteers? We are looking for people from all ages and backgrounds, who are reliable, feel confident talking to groups of children and know how to avoid patronising them.

The full age range is four to 18, but the main target group is aged seven to 11.Training and resources are provided.

If you are interested please contact your nearest RNLI regional education officer. Also contact them to find out the full range of services available. Details from the Supporter Services Helpdesk: 0845 121 4999..