By: Courtney Sadowsky, CTE Health Science/AHA BLS Instructor DHS/RACTC
Earlier in March, third and fourth-grade students at Dickinson Public Schools had a special presentation from Dickinson High School students where my Sports Medicine Class shared the Safety on Wheels Project to highlight Brain Injury Awareness month.
Brain Injury Awareness month recognizes individuals who suffer from a traumatic brain injury and promotes the prevention and safety measures used to prevent someone from suffering. Alex Dvorak & Kasey Stengel stated their favorite part is demonstrating how important wearing a properly fitting helmet can be, and the reaction they received from the students when they demonstrated a tiny helmet on a real chicken egg dropping on the floor without breaking and then taking the egg out of the helmet and breaking when dropping it on the floor.
The project was presented to my students by Carly Endres, the ND Brain Injury Network Coordinator from UND, and was intended for them to learn about and teach area 3rd and 4th graders about helmet safety. DHS students also researched brain anatomy and physiology, and the long and short-term effects that happen to people with a traumatic brain injury.
Prairie Rose Elementary was the first group to participate, with a total of 167 students. They broke up into groups and paired with DHS students to do some hands-on activities, including Play-Doh, Brain Trivia, Jello Brains to mimic our real brains (weight/size), card games, and last but not least, a coloring contest for all students to participate for a chance to win a free helmet decided by the NDBIN Coordinator and her staff at UND. Winners will be announced at a later date, as Lincoln and Roosevelt Elementary schools will also participate. The students absolutely loved that representation of how it may affect their brains if they don't wear a helmet.