Red Cross, SEI work together to get kids prepared
 
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Sierra Baldwin / Lise Harwin |
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July 28, 2009
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PORTLAND, Ore. – If a friend is drowning, you should...
A) Jump in the water and swim them to safety
B) Throw a rope or reach for them from the shore
Nearly fifty percent (50%) of the students in one Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) summer program classroom answered "A." And that's wrong...the kind of wrong that could be deadly. But by the end of class, every single student knew the mantra, "Reach or throw, don't go," proving that a little education really can save a life.
This summer, the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross and SEI expanded their successful partnership, launched in 2008. While Red Cross instructors continued to teach students the skills to prepare for and prevent emergencies, they also provided training to teachers – giving SEI’s educators the skills to teach the safety curriculum in the future.
“This year, we’re not only educating children, but teachers as well,” said Dave Brooke, health and safety manager for the Oregon Trail Chapter. “As SEI’s teachers become Red Cross trained instructors, we’ll be able to expand our reach and get many more children educated about important safety topics.” A similar “train the trainer” approach has also been implemented at several Boys and Girls Club locations.
Throughout July, Red Cross instructors taught four classes per day, averaging 40 minutes each. The SEI curriculum includes water safety, stranger danger, basic first aid, and important steps for emergencies including heart attacks and choking. The content is pulled from Red Cross youth courses and corresponds with grade level so that instruction is appropriate for students of all ages.
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In Oregon, the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disaster every eight hours; provides more than 90 percent of the blood used by Oregon patients; teaches thousands of Oregonians lifesaving skills; provides transportation to seniors and the disabled; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.oregonredcross.org or join the conversation on our award-winning blog at www.oregonredcross.org/blog.
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