SAFE AND FUN: AN INJURY PREVENTION KIT

Electronic Learning Facilitators, Inc., Bethesda MD

Investigators

Abstract

To combat the high number of unintentional deaths and injuries sustained by children under age 14 who participate in recreational activities, Electronic Learning Facilitators will create an injury prevention kit to be incorporated into fourth grade health and safety curriculum. The primary goal of this program will be to increase safe recreational behavior among fourth graders. The kit will include a highly interactive, web-based multimedia program that will inform children about injuries associated with recreational activities, and how to prevent them; model safe and unsafe behaviors, allowing children to see the consequences of unsafe actions; and simulate recreational activities, giving children the opportunity to practice making safe decisions. The kit will also include a guide to help teachers incorporate the multimedia program into their larger safety curriculum. It will include lesson objectives and strategies for achieving them; methods for gaining parental support; activities for community involvement; motivational items, such as a poster for the classroom and stickers for the children; and information on how to create/change public policy. The multimedia program will comprise several modules, each pertaining to a different sport or activity. For the Phase I prototype we will complete one module, which will cover bicycling. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Safe and Fun: An Injury Prevention Kit will be a Web-based, interactive multimedia program for fourth graders designed for distribution through the classroom. The program kit also will include a teacher's guide; activities; motivational items; and ideas for gaining parental and community support, and changing public policy. Individual teachers, schools or school districts will be able to purchase the kit in order to gain access to the supplementary materials. PH5 6246-1 (Rev. 1198) Page 2