|
_______________________________________________________________________ |
|
How to Plan a Farm Safety Day Camp
What is a farm safety day camp?
ATSPA has a long history of promoting trauma prevention
education in rural areas. Farm safety day camps are designed to help
reduce the incidence of farm-related injuries and deaths among children
ages 8-15. ATSPA has made a real effort to bring the message of farm
safety to the Plain and Amish communities in
Pennsylvania.
What do children do at farm safety day camps?
The camps are designed for children to participate in
hands-on demonstrations and exhibits that focus on potential hazards and
safe practices related to living, working and visiting on a farm. The
children are usually divided into small groups who rotate throughout the
day to various learning stations such as: sun safety, lawn mower safety,
disability awareness, poisonous look-a-likes, horse safety, gun safety,
fire safety, lightning safety, bike safety, ATV safety, basic first aid
and car passenger safety. The day often includes a visit by an emergency
rescue helicopter and a demonstration on tractor rollover safety.
An ideal location to hold a farm safety camp is at a local
fairground. The location should include indoor facilities, or tents, in
case of inclement weather. It is often helpful to plan the camp to
coincide with another event such as a local fair or 4-H event.
How do I begin planning a farm safety day camp?
The best way to begin is by forming a committee from groups
that may be interested in helping plan, sponsor and participate in the day
camp. Groups often willing to help organize a camp include farm
women's
groups, county extension offices, school vocational-agriculture teachers,
4-H clubs, the American Red Cross, agricultural supply businesses and
farm bureaus.
A planning guide is available.
How many children can I expect to attend?
Your first day camp may start out small, but as the
popularity of the camp grows so will the attendance. ATSPA participated
in two farm safety camps during summer 2005 where attendance ranged from
125 to 200 children.
Contact:
For more information about farm safety day camps, please
contact ATSPA at
(717) 766-1616,
1 (800) 822-2358 or
atsp@atspa.org.
_______________________________________________________________________
