Representatives from Children’s Hospital of Michigan Trauma Related Injury Prevention (TRIP) program were at Lakeville Elementary on Sept. 23 during the building’s annual Curriculum Night.
Sue Smith, RN, MSN, the Trauma Coordinator, and Renee Schwenn, the Injury Prevention Education Coordinator, were available to talk with parents and distribute information about safety issues with children, including motor vehicle and bus safety, fire and burn safety, bike and pedestrian safety, gun safety and personal safety.
Other safety concerns were also addressed through school assemblies and programs appropriate for various grade levels.
This program is funded by Kohl’s Department Stores, allowing CHM to offer children’s bicycle helmets at a cost of $4 to $8. TRIP also offers free gun trigger locks to anyone who requests them.
According to CHM, unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death to children ages 14 and younger. The TRIP program aims to assist in reducing these numbers of injuries by offering a menu-selection program to schools and organizations. Schools can select any combination of safety programs from the nine topics areas offered.
According to Lakeville Elementary Principal Sharon Karpinski, a Lakeville student was recently injured in an accident when he fell off his bike while riding home from school. Not wearing a helmet, the student suffered injuries that could easily have been avoided by wearing one. The staff at Lakeville Elementary are using this opportunity to increase awareness among students and parents about the importance of always wearing a properly-fitted helmet.
In addition, the staff at Lakeville is making plans to work with CHM on several other safety programs which will be taught in school through assemblies and classroom instruction.