Safety Smart was designed to improve children’s awareness and understanding of safety, health and environmental issues, and ultimately impact their behavior. In 2011, UL Education and Outreach created a partnership with Health World, a non-profit organization that offers schools a protected and secure e-Learning platform approved for use by educational systems nationwide.
In an effort to reach even more students with the Wild About Safety messages, the animated series concept grew from a 2011 Safety Smart School Education Initiative where Health World educators trained to become official Safety Smart Ambassadors for UL’s Safety Smart program.
“Partnering with Health World reflects our mission of creating a safer world,” said Ginger Sommer, a program manager in the education and outreach department of UL’s not-for-profit division, handling research and content development for UL’s educational programs, including Safety Smart and Xplorlabs.
“We are hearing from teachers that, our content is helping them to engage young students in learning about how they can make the right choices about their own health, safety and the environment.”
Health World and UL worked to divide the animation into “bite-size” chapters. Now, classroom teachers play the animated video until a Health World instructor comes onscreen to summarize the lessons the children have just learned as well as suggest interactive activities for the class.
Teachers then facilitate the activities with the students, blending the animation, instruction and interaction all the while engaging the students with entertaining and fun learning.
“We value our partnership with Health World and look forward to continuing our work with them in helping children and their families learn to make more informed choices today and in the future – that’s doing our part and being Safety Smart!”