about us

ThinkFirst BC is growing fast! It started in North Vancouver in 2003 with the guidance and enthusiasm of Dr. Brian Hunt and Jennifer Burns. This year, under the direction of John Campbell, ThinkFirst BC is set to spread the message of brain and spinal cord injury prevention to elementary schools in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Our goal is to reach as many children and youth in BC as possible and provide Thinkfirst For Kids safety curriculum binders to elementary schools in BC.

contact ThinkFirst BC coordinators:

Shannon Piedt, for VIP volunteers, donations, and general inquiries
T: 604-875-2000, Ext 5478
E: spiedt@cw.bc.ca

Cynthia Yuan, for event and presenter volunteer opportunities, volunteer training events, school presentation bookings or inquiries
T: 604-910-1795
E: cyuan@cw.bc.ca

Address: L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4

updates

• Our pilot year 2008-2009 was a great success!!
• We have:
• Presented to 26 schools in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Provided ThinkFIrst BC Presentations to 4777 students in Kindergarten to Grade 7 in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Presented to over 160 classrooms in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Presented to 243 teachers in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Distributed 47 helmets to schools
• Donated 19 books to schools
• Trained 11 volunteer presenters
• Trained 2 V.I.P. presenters
• We also have a ThinkFirst BC brochure for general information and volunteer opportunities.

volunteer opportunities

Event Volunteer
Assist at helmet-fitting clinics and community events. Training will be provided. Please contact Cynthia Yuan for more information.

Presenter
Make ThinkFirst BC presentations at elementary schools to help spread our message. We need enthusiastic individuals who are comfortable presenting to groups of school-age children. Training will be provided. Please contact Cynthia Yuan for more information.

VIP (Voice in Injury Prevention)
Injury survivors have an opportunity to influence changes in behaviour when they speak to school-aged children and youth about their experiences. Training will be provided. Please contact Shannon Piedt for more information.

what we do

Presentations to Elementary Schools

Our program motivates kids to take the step needed to keep themselves safe.

During our visits to schools, a ThinkFirst presenter accompanied by a brain and spinal cord injury survivor will present the following to the students:

• The brain and spinal cord: what are they and what do they do?
• What happens when the brain and spinal cord get hurt?
• Ways to protect the brain and spinal cord
• Proper helmet fitting
• The brain/spinal cord injury survivor’s story

These interactive presentations are tailored to elementary school students in kindergarten – grade 7 and the duration varies from 20 – 60 minutes depending on the grade level.

ThinkFirst BC also leaves each school a FREE package that contains:

• Thinkfirst For Kids Curriculum binders – Kindergarten to grade 7 easy-to-use 6-lesson plan curriculum that is proven to successfully teach safety to Canadian children and youth
• 3 free helmets
• Helmet-fitting brochures
• A fictional children’s book on a story of a brain/spinal cord injured person (donation for the school library)

For more information or to book a presentation please contact Cynthia Yuan, ThinkFirst Presentation Coordinator at cyuan@cw.bc.ca or at 604-910-1795. Thank you!

Thinkfirst For Kids Safety Curriculum

The curriculum materials are FREE OF CHARGE!
Thinkfirst For Kids is an elementary school program available in both English and French for Kindergarten – grade 7 that addresses:

• Understanding the Brain and Spinal Cord
Pedestrian and vehicular safety
• Cycling safety
• Recreational, playground, sports and water safety
• Creative problem solving
• Avoiding chocking, strangulation, suffocation & hazardous substances

Teachers choose how they wish to teach the six lessons. The curriculum was designed to be integrated into class schedules according to the teacher’s discretion or preference. Program components include:

• ‘User-friendly’ lesson plans with reproducible teacher resource and student work sheets, including the ThinkFirst At Home activity sheet
• Coloured classroom posters that highlight the key messages
• A 10 minute video (This video is shown during the first lesson, introduces that one can still have fun while being safe!)
• Suggested resources to augment the program
• Evaluation sheet including assessment rubrics and comments section
• A Safety Super Hero Student Diploma
• A school certificate of participation (suitable for framing and yearly stickers)

Please contact ThinkFirst BC Coordinators for more information.

Booth at Community Events

We teach kids and parents how to fit a helmet properly and which sports require one. In addition, we have helmet draws at the ThinkFirst booths.

success stories

2009

• Recruited 4 VIPs (Voices of injury prevention), trained 11 volunteers and attended 11 community events.
• On average in 2009, ThinkFirst BC presented to 3-4 schools in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. They've networked with 242 teachers, educated 5066 students in 24 different schools and have given away 54 helmets.
• Held ThinkFirst booths at the following community events: IKEA Safety Fair, Campbell River Presentation to Skaters, Summer Fun Day, Safety and Security Sunday, Safe Communities Day, ICBC Conference.

• ThinkFirst BC supported and participated in a national research study to collect data on 1) the number of children and youth cycling to school during May and June and 2) the number of children and youth who cycling around their community in the summer. This study was lead by Dr. Ian Pike, Dr. Alison MacPherson, and Dr. Mariana Brussoni. Cynthia Yuan worked hard as a data collector for the project. The research findings have yet to be analyzed, but initial data show that very few children cycle to the 25 elementary schools in the Vancouver region. In general, there were more adult cyclists observed on bike paths, especially in areas of higher socio-economic status.

• Contributed an article to Headline magazine written by Shannon Piedt and Silvia van Dooren entitled The Importance of Injury Prevention According to Four Brain Injury Survivors.

fundraising initiatives

Financial assistance goes directly to ThinkFirst BC programs and is always much appreciated. Please contact Shannon Piedt to make donations.

advisory board

John Campbell, Past-President, Colin Campbell and Sons Chapter Chairman
Dr. Brian Hunt, Neurosurgeon, Co-Director
Dr. Shahid Gul, Neurosurgeon, Co-Director
Landon James, Vancouver General Hospital, Treasurer
Dr. Shelina Babul, BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Board Member
Connie Johnson, BCIT, Board Member
Jennifer Burns, North Vancouver School District, Board Member
Rob Issac, Sora Gourp, Board Member
Matt Herman, Ministry of Health, Board Member
Garth Young, Aviva Canada, Board Member

For more information about injury prevention in BC, we encourage you to visit the Community Against Preventable Injuries’ web site: www.preventable.ca

54

54 helmets given away during the 2008/2009 school year!

5066

During the 2008/2009 school year ThinkFirst BC presented to 5066 students in 24 schools!