May 2023
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New Open Water Swimming Safety Toolkit!
Although the risk of drowning decreases for children after age 4, it spikes again during their teenage years, especially for swimmers in open water. The conditions in lakes, oceans, rivers, and ponds are not always easy to see and can change quickly, which can turn swimming in open water from a fun activity into a dangerous one. With swimming season on the horizon, our new open water swimming safety toolkit addresses these dangers by encouraging parents and caregivers to talk to teens about making safe and smart decisions when swimming in open water. The toolkit contains a newsletter/blog article, social media posts, graphics, suggested alt text, an image selection guide, a Pinterest board, and links to additional resources which provide more information about open water swimming safety.
https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/open-water-swimming-safety
The coordinated outreach week for this toolkit is May 15 - 19, 2023. If you haven’t done so already, please add open water swimming safety to your social media plans for that week. Reminder: your membership gives you advanced access to the toolkit, so please do not share this link. We'll send a public link on May 8th, which you are free (and encouraged!) to share with colleagues and friends.
#PreventDrowning Webinar
During our outreach week, we will be partnering with T4CIP on their Day of Action for a #PreventDrowning Webinar. The webinar will be on May 15 from 11 a.m. to noon ET and moderated by Dr. Ben Hoffman (Oregon Health and Science University). Panelists include Dr. Sarah Denny (Nationwide Children's), Adam Katchmarchi (National Drowning Prevention Alliance), Leland Brown (USA Swimming), and Tiffaney Isaacson (Phoenix Children's).
Register here: bit.ly/T4CIP-PreventDrowningWebinar
#PreventDrowning Twitter Chat
After the webinar on May 15, join T4CIP for their #PreventDrowning Twitter chat from 2-3 p.m. ET. Follow @T4CIP_ on Twitter for more information!
Member Spotlight
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing drowning and injuries around all types of water. The NDPA raises awareness about water safety through education, advocacy, and collaboration with individuals and organizations.
To pass along water safety education to consumers and industry advocates, the NDPA created its Water Safety Champion Program. The program equips each member with key water safety facts and the 5 layers of protection to prevent childhood drowning, and encourages members to spread the information to their communities.
As the water safety season approaches, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance has released a new Water Safety Season Toolkit. The toolkit consists of social posts, shareable blogs, press release templates, printable documents, and other resources to advocate for water safety and drowning prevention. To promote water safety during the busiest water activity season, join the NDPA in May through August during their Water Safety Season Campaign.
Stay up-to-date on the work the National Drowning Prevention Alliance is doing in this space by connecting with them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their website!
Coming Up
On Our Twitter Calendar
May 1 - 7: Heat Safety
May 8 - 14: National Bicycle Safety Month
May 15 - 21: Outreach Week: Open Water Swimming Safety
May 22 - 28: Swimming Pool Safety
May 29 - June 4: Firearm Safety in the Home
Events
Event: National Bike Safety Month
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2023
May is Bicycle Safety Month, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reminding drivers and bicyclists to do their part to help reduce deaths and injuries on our roads.
Event: National Water Safety Month
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2023
National Water Safety Month is an annual awareness campaign coordinated by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance with support from the American Red Cross, National Drowning Prevention Alliance, National Recreation and Park Association, and World Waterpark Association.
Event: National Child Passenger Safety Technician Month
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2023
Safe Kids Worldwide is celebrating its seventh annual National Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) month this May.
Event: National Mental Health Month
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2023
This Mental Health Month, challenge yourself to examine your world and how it can affect your overall health. Look around, look within – from your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to your mental health.
Webinar: Evidence-Informed Approaches to Preventing School Gun Violence
Date/Time: May 9, 2023
In this webinar, Drs. Paul Reeping and Sonali Rajan will present on a range of evidence-driven solutions at the policy, community, and school levels that would contribute to meaningful reductions in gun violence in K-12 schools. The implications of these collective efforts for reducing harm placed on children in communities around the U.S. will also be discussed. Click here to register.
Event: #PreventDrowning Day of Action
Hosted by: Trainees for Child Injury Prevention
Date/Time: May 15, 2023
Join @T4CIP_ for their #PreventDrowning Day of Action on May 15! Register for the webinar at bit.ly/T4CIP-PreventDrowningWebinar and join in from 11 a.m. to noon ET. Join the Twitter chat from 2-3 p.m. ET using #PreventDrowning. Share materials from their accounts on Twitter and/or Instagram, and see what other materials are available: bit.ly/T4CIP-PreventDrowning.
Event: EMS Week
Hosted by: American College of Emergency Physicians & National Associations of Emergency Medical Technicians
Date/Time: May 21-27, 2023
Each year, National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week is hosted by the American College of Emergency Physicians in partnership with the National Associations of Emergency Medical Technicians to recognize the work of EMS clinicians. Special theme days of EMS Week help to structure the week’s activities, with Wednesday set aside for EMS for Children (EMSC) Day. EMSC Day is an annual opportunity to spotlight the need for high-quality care for children in prehospital settings and the work of the federal EMSC Program.
Event: National Safe Boating Week
Hosted by: Safe Boating Campaign
Date/Time: May 21-27, 2023
The Safe Boating Campaign is a worldwide effort focused on responsible boating, encouraging boaters to always wear a life jacket while on the water.
Event: Don't Fry Day
Hosted by: National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention
Date/Time: May 26, 2023
To help reduce rising rates of skin cancer from overexposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.