Youth Preparedness

It is important that children know what to do in an emergency. A few ways children can plan to be prepared for emergencies include practicing emergency drills at home and school, knowing where the family meeting place is, how to call 9-1-1, who the out-of-town family contact is, and what to do during an emergency.

Download the FEMA Youth Preparedness Fact Sheet (2-page PDF)

Let us know what you think of this page! E-mail suggestions or comments to Regina Moran: regina.moran@fema.dhs.gov

National Summit on Youth Preparedness

On September 15-16, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Education, and the American Red Cross hosted the National Summit on Youth Preparedness.

The Summit brought together approximately 180 attendees from the fields of youth communications, programs serving youth, developers of youth preparedness education, practitioners from the state, tribal, and local levels, and academia. The goal of the Summit is to synthesize input from all participants to develop a framework for a national strategy on grades K-12 preparedness education to increase youth preparedness knowledge, skills, and behaviors, and to address youth of all abilities and backgrounds.

View the PowerPoint presentation and listen to the recordings via webinar on the Community Preparedness Webinar Series page.

National Summit on Youth Preparedness: Summit Proceedings Report (31-page PDF)

Youth Preparedness Review

The following document provides a review and of youth disaster preparedness and education materials and programs. This information may be useful when developing or implementing your own educational program.

Bringing Youth Preparedness Education to the Forefront: A Literature Review and Recommendations (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2010

The Catalogue of Youth Disaster Preparedness Education Resources was created to assist individuals and organizations with locating preparedness resources that are tailored to children and youth. All information provided here comes directly from the entities sponsoring each program. We need your help to try to make this resource as comprehensive as possible. If you know of any programs or resources that would add to this compendium please forward it to citizencorps@dhs.gov.

Catalogue of Youth Disaster Preparedness Education Resources (PDF)

FEMA Children's Working Group

The Children's Working Group (CWG) was established by Administrator Fugate in August 2009, and is responsible for leading FEMA's efforts, in partnership with other federal agencies and non-governmental stakeholders, to ensure that the needs of children are considered and integrated into all disaster planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts initiated at the federal level. The Working Group is chaired by a member of senior leadership and comprised of a lead coordinator and representatives from virtually all sectors of the Agency.

Click here to view FEMA's Children's Working Group Webpage

Online Activities for Children

The following websites are fun and educational for children:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Ready Kids and the FEMA for Kids websites teach children about disasters, how they can be prepared.
United States Fire Administration website for kids focuses on home safety and fire safety- USFA's Kids Page.
Sparky is the mascot of the National Fire Protection Association and this site focuses on fire prevention education for kids, with lots of games to reinforce the message.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designed fun activities for kids to explore the planet they live on, including hazardous weather. These activities are linked from the NOAA education webpage and are tailored for children grades K-5 and for grades 6-12.
Code Red Rover is the Home Safety Council's website for children that introduces them to Rover, the Home Safety Hound, and delivers interactive games and puzzles to assist children in identifying dangers in and around the home.
The Interactive Zone at the American Red Cross website includes games, quizzes, and map to engage youngsters in emergency preparedness and disasters safety. There are also lots of ways for children and young adults to get involved in Youth Services with the American Red Cross.
Here is a listing of other government websites that may be of interest to kids.

Girl Scouts Emergency Preparedness Patch Program

The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital and FEMA's Community Preparedness Division partnered to develop this patch program in order to provide information and activities in emergency preparedness appropriate for all levels of Scouts, from Daisy through Ambassador. The patch program will raise public awareness about personal preparedness, training, and volunteer service to support emergency services and community safety and will motivate young women to become leaders in their communities in the fields of emergency management and emergency response.

Additional Links

The following programs provide educational resources for teachers and parents:

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools: Technical Assistance Center
National Commission on Children and Disasters
Masters of Disaster developed by the American Red Cross provides curriculum specifically tailored for lower elementary (grades K-2), upper elementary (grades 3-5), and middle school (grades 6-8) classes. For each of the three class groups there is a customized kit that contains–lessons plans, activities, video.
Risk Watch: A comprehensive injury prevention program designed for use in the classroom, with separate modules for pre-K through 8th grade.
Additional resources for parents and teachers compiled by FEMA.

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Citizen Corps