CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou High School students are helping prepare their younger counterparts for emergencies.
Aroostook Emergency Management Agency Director Darren Woods stated that for the second year, EMA has been working with Dr. Valerie Ann Waldemarson to have JMG students teach the Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) program.
“Dr. Waldemarson and her students have been a great force multiplier for us. We teach them the program, then they go out to the children to share it,” Woods said. “We could not do these classes without their help. We believe that the efforts they put into this will have positive results for years to come.”
Once a week for seven weeks, these students spend time in the classroom with fourth-graders discussing hazards in the area and how they can prepare for them at home. In addition to teaching emergency preparedness, students develop mentor/mentee relationships that allow for leadership opportunities in and out of school.
The program wraps up with the creation of a disaster “go-kit” that they can keep and take home to discuss with their parents.
According to Woods, by partnering with the JMG program, EMA can help bring the information to the school, while allowing the JMG students an opportunity to learn it themselves and practice public speaking.
“We are hoping that over time we will be able to create a better awareness in our region and in turn make everyone just a bit more resilient,” said Woods.
Aroostook EMA is also looking to expand this program into other schools, and they encourage school officials to contact them to discuss how it could work in their system.
Public information can also be found on the Aroostook County Emergency Management Facebook Pages or their website at www.aroostookema.com.
