ThinkFirst For Kids
Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death among children aged one and older, with many survivors enduring the consequences of brain and spinal cord injuries. The physical, emotional, psychological and learning problems that affect injured children, along with the associated costs, make reducing traumatic injuries a high priority for health and safety advocates throughout the nation.
ThinkFirst For Kids was developed through a collaborative effort of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Peace Education Foundation, educators and professionals from the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
The goal of the program is to increase knowledge and awareness of the causes and risk factors of brain and spinal cord injury, injury prevention measures, and the use of safety habits at an early age. Curricula and presentations are available for grades 1 through 3, and may also be adapted for kindergarten
and pre-K students.
Topics presented:
- protecting your brain and spinal cord
- vehicle and bus safety
- bicycle and pedestrian safety
- playground safety
- water safety
- violence prevention
Curricula includes objectives and information for presenting lessons, worksheets, parent letters and family worksheets, the delightful 'Street Smart' animated video (available in English, French and Spanish), and cartoon lesson sheets to color of 'Street Smart' and his friends.
Local ThinkFirst chapters also offer assembly or classroom presentations by a health educator to augment the ThinkFirst For Kids curricula program.