Providing rural youth with knowledge and strategies to be safe in their homes and communities is a foundational skill for being a responsible adult.  Youth are at increased risk of experiencing certain types of harm. Rural youth are more likely to die in car accidents, farm accidents, and suicides than urban youth. They are also more likely to experience violence like bullying.

     Rural youth may have fewer resources to cope with harm. Rural communities often have fewer mental health providers, substance abuse treatment programs, and other social services than urban communities. This can make it more difficult for rural youth to get help when needed. Supporting safety for rural youth is essential for building strong and vibrant rural communities. Youths who are safe and healthy are more likely to stay in their communities and contribute to their local economies.

     Green County Extension partnered with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation to offer third-grade students a safety day of practical, hands-on learning activities to increase their awareness and recognition of unsafe areas.  Through a $1840 in-kind grant of curriculum, training and take-home items provided by Progressive Agriculture, 115 youth participated in the program led by fifteen community volunteers.  Youth participated in safety booths related to unsafe areas around their home, alternative lifestyle habits recognizing simple exercises, detecting the sun’s possible damage during the winter months and how to make local water bodies like ponds and streams safer through simple household products like a “floating jug” on a rope as a tossable floatation device.

     Of the 115 youth participants, all youth could identify and communicate a new safety rule they had learned during the event. They documented this new skill by picturing the new rule they learned.  All youth created a sun safety device to demonstrate when their body was exposed to the sun’s rays and as a reminder to wear sunscreen or alternate clothes to protect their skin.