It is crucial for the youth population in America to understand the consequences of disasters early in life so that they are prepared to proactively address and hopefully prevent catastrophes as the leaders of tomorrow.
As such, it is incredibly valuable for organizations to pursue educational measures that provide young people with the knowledge and resources to better understand and cope with the problems they face now and in the future.
Understanding the importance of such programs, the Center for Safe Schools – a Pennsylvania-based organization dedicated to school safety and youth violence prevention – in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and other state organizations facilitated the Safe Schools Conference.
Taking place on May 8 and 9, the event will combine insight from school leaders, community officials as well as law enforcement members to impress upon students what tools are available in order to facilitate a positive and nurturing school environment.
"Specifically, the event includes practical resources and information to deal with safety issues that schools face daily – bullying prevention, conflict management, emergency response and crisis management, and initiatives to address student mental health issues," said Lynn Cromley, the director of the Center for Safe Schools in a press release.
Additionally, the event will feature a viewing of a 9/11 documentary called Rebirth so that students can gain superior understanding of how to ready themselves for disasters in the future and to appreciate the impact of trauma on schools and communities in general.
While events like this are incredibly valuable in properly cultivating tomorrow's leaders, rallying the necessary support and resources to put together something of this magnitude may prove to be a difficult undertaking. As such, organizations looking to put together similar education initiatives on emergency response would be well advised to partner with a disaster preparedness consulting firm. These professionals can assist in determining the risks of a particular region and help develop a program to gather the tools and personnel required to educate the community on the best solutions available.