EN | FR
Youth Safety
This community activity addresses safety issues relating to many popular youth activities such as bike riding, skateboarding, in-line skating, riding the school bus, riding in automobiles and exploring the internet. Whether from bike, bus or car, each year, one of four U.S. children receives accident-related medical attention, resulting in combined medical costs of $14 million. Children using the internet run the risk of health problems such as eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome as well as becoming victims of abduction and exposure to violent or sexual content. This guide provides viable projects that address contemporary safety issues. More detailed information about Youth Safety is available in the Youth Safety Planning Guide.
Poster Contest Package
A Program Package for a Youth Safety Poster Contest is available on the Package Programs page of the website. On that page, Clubs can find all of the information they need to get started with a new Poster Contest program. The sample theme is “Skateboard Safety.”
Publicize Youth Safety Activities
Optimist International has begun developing a series of news releases that Clubs can use in connection with their participation in international programs. Below is a sample news release that Clubs can use to promote their youth safety activities. Please note that the .doc version enables Clubs to type their information into fields*, while the .pdf files are for viewing only.
*If your Optimist Club wishes to use its own letterhead, you can remove the Optimist International logo in the document by opening up the Word document, going to "View," then "Toolbars" and selecting "Forms." When the "Forms" toolbar appears, click on the padlock, then click on the Optimist logo and delete it. For those using Microsoft Office 2007, click on the Microsoft Office button in the upper left corner, go to "Word options" and then select the box next to "Show the Developer tab in the Ribbon" and click "OK." Above the document, click the "Developer" tab and then click on the "Protect Document" drop-down menu. Click on "Restrict Formatting and Editing." At the bottom of the new window to the right, click the "Stop Protection" button.
