Sarah Scarce is the Founding Director of The Aqua English Project and has a background in Law and International Relations. She has lived and worked in both China and Japan, where she has developed her skills in cross cultural communication through project development.
Sarah’s first project was the International Climate Change Education Project, a holistic method of cross cultural and bipartisan engagement on a key global issue with the Queensland Government Trade & Investment Office.
Since returning to Australia, Sarah has continued working with Australia’s Multicultural community in her capacity as a Refugee Lawyer and Director for The Aqua English Project. Both roles have continued to intertwine, with legal work on the Legacy Caseload cementing Sarah’s desire to ensure the social inclusion barriers faced by Australia’s multicultural community are overcome though the development and implementation of grassroots programs and project initiatives.
The Aqua English Project
The Aqua English Project started as a drowning prevention strategy for Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse community in 2006. Its original goal was to reduce the burden of drowning fatality and injury for refugees and migrants making Australia home.
It has taken a non-traditional approach to swimming and water safety, and focusses on engagement, empowerment, essential English, and employment to ensure a program outreach to over 33,000 refugees, migrants, and new arrivals across Queensland.
Holistic collaboration and partnership with peak industry bodies, local government, business, education, and multicultural support organisations have ensured Aqua English is able to continue its goal of creating a socially inclusive and culturally diverse approach to swimming and sport in Australia.
Aqua English programs include aquatic therapy for torture and trauma impacted clients, safe space aquatic programs for women, employment, and training of refugees in aquatics, Swim Bins, and culturally sensitive swimwear development.
Social inclusion and cultural diversity in sport is the end goal, aquatic participation and swimming is the platform.