(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus City Schools are highlighting the impact made after five years of Safety City, a free injury-prevention program for children ages 5 to 7 that raises awareness about common preventable injuries.
Since starting in 2022, over 1,000 students from 47 ZIP codes in Columbus have graduated from the program, marking their proficiency in topics like traffic lights, fire prevention safety, stranger awareness, interactions with police officers and more.
The Safety City curriculum varies based on student age and location, but all programming is focused on providing quality, hands-on education designed to build real-world skills.
“Safety City has provided such valuable information not only with my daughter who was enrolled in the program, but for my entire family,” said Deja Dunning of her daughter Calli, a former participant. “The programming provides a way for children to learn about potentially dangerous situations in a safe and controlled environment so they can learn the safest thing to do before being in an emergency.”
Participants complete a pre-and post-test to determine their understanding of safety information. During the program, participants demonstrated a 90% increase in injury-prevention knowledge. Prior to graduation, students showcase safety skills including seatbelt use, safe street crossing, fire safety techniques like “stop, drop and roll” and more.
“It is important for children to begin learning about public safety and basic safety from a young age,” said Katie Higgins, infant and child wellness manager at Nationwide Children’s. “Safety City teaches kids the skills they need to make smart choices in potentially dangerous situations, how to handle emergencies and the importance of health and wellness.”
Safety City Columbus is supported by the City of Columbus Department of Education, Columbus City Schools and the Honda USA Foundation. To learn more and register, visit NationwideChildrens.org/Safety-City to view upcoming locations and dates.