Bonaventure club reaches out to schools to show local support
With all the clubs on campus, some are lost in the mix. One club on campus that is not as well known, but has an important message to spread, is SafeTEEN Coalition. This club helps school children in the area, spanning multiple districts and buildings, with learning important skills and life lessons.
The club is an organization of students who are dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injuries and promotion of a healthy, safe lifestyle for elementary, middle and high school students.
The club started as an independent organization in 2012 after State Farm provided a grant, and it was able to spread out into the program with an important message and range of topics. Last year, it was sanctioned by the Student Government Association. Some of the topics covered in interactive seminars are: transportation safety, stranger awareness, character development and anti-bullying. SafeTEEN also provides programs for teachers, depending on the specific needs of their classrooms. This service has included topics like fairness, nutrition and outdoor safety.
One of the special programs SafeTEEN does is Superhero Day, which frames many different topics like responsibility, anti-bullying and first responder awareness. The fun part of this day is that the students are given their very own superhero capes!
Another program SafeTEEN runs is Safety Town. This hands-on experience involves setting up a miniature town with buildings, roads and road signs and having the children ride around the town on scooters. This program focuses on teaching road safety, recognizing what road signs mean and how important it is to follow the signs. Since many students in the community walk to school, it is important for them to know how to safely navigate their way, which is a core goal of SafeTEEN.
Last year, members took two trips to the Allegany-Limestone Elementary School. One trip was to give a presentation about internet safety and talk to students about what is safe to share on the internet and how to handle situations like cyberbullying. The other trip was to discuss the dangers of drug and alcohol use and how to say “no” to harmful decisions.
The students in the community enjoy visits from the members of SafeTEEN, and the feeling is mutual.
Student director of SafeTEEN, senior biology major Simmi Kalsi, is passionate about the club and said, “What I love about SafeTEEN is that I’ve had the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of children. I’ve also gained leadership skills as a mentor, improved my public speaking skills and have given back to our community in an extraordinary way.”
The club is open to all majors and anyone who enjoys working with children and making a difference.
SafeTEEN will have a table for Family Weekend and will have free t-shirts available for those who stop by to learn more about the organization.
By Faith Topolsky, Staff Writer
topolsfl17@bonaventure.edu
