Students go online for River Safety (UTRCA Weekly, February 25, 2021)
Feb 25, 2021 – Every March since 1998, the UTRCA’s Community Education staff have gone into watershed schools to teach young children how to stay safe near rivers and streams. Our River Safety program has reached more than 63,000 students, teaching them about the dangers posed by high, fast flowing water and slippery banks, as well as the hazards around dams, reservoirs, and ponds.
This year, with the restrictions on classroom visits due to COVID-19, we had to rethink how to deliver this important program to watershed students. The result is a new, virtual River Safety education program that uses a variety of fun online activities and games to teach and reinforce water safety.
So far, approximately 2,500 students have participated in the virtual River Safety program. Julie Last, a teacher from Cedar Hollow Public School, shared the reaction of her grade two students to the program. “They enjoyed following the adventures of Splish and Splash as they learned about river safety,” she reported. “The program was organized and engaging and there were many different activities to choose from. Students made connections to places in their community that they have visited and had many insightful ways they could play safely around water. Thank you for providing these wonderful and important resources to us!”
Community Education staff are very thankful for our generous community funders and their continued sponsorship and support. Thank you to the Arva and District Optimist Club, Bryanston-Birr Optimist Club, Byron Optimist Club, Thamesford Lions, Highbury Pet Hospital, and London Oakridge Acres Optimist Club for your donations to our 2021 River Safety program!
Why River Safety is important
The original impetus for the River Safety program was a near-fatal incident in 1996, when three grade eight students were swept over London’s Springbank Dam during a field trip. A subsequent study on how to minimize public hazards in that area identified, among other things, the need to better educate children about safety near rivers. UTRCA Community Education staff saw this recommendation as a natural fit with the Authority’s efforts to keep people and property safe from natural hazards, including flooding.
The River Safety program is traditionally one hour of engaging and interactive in-class activities, specifically designed for grade two students. Education staff focus on this age group because research indicates that they are especially vulnerable.
Kim Gilbert, Community Education Technician, talks about the online River Safety program
Read more about the online River Safety program in the February FYI (page 3)
Find out more about the UTRCA’s environmental education programs
See photos from previous, in-class River Safety programs:
• Stratford and St Marys
• London
• London