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The Elks Lodge donates $3,250 to YK1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools to pay for Risk Watch program materials. From left, Fire Chief Albert Headrick, Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge Frank Stapleton, YK1 board member Terry Brookes, Ron Delmage, Yellowknife Catholic Schools superintendent Gwen Keith, and deputy fire chief Gerda Groothuizen. - photo courtesy of Gayla Meredith

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife schools will be integrating a program on injury prevention into their curricula this fall, taking aim at one of the leading causes of child deaths in Canada.

According to the National Fire Protection Association - which developed the Risk Watch program - injuries are the leading cause of death for children over the age of one.

"I drive by a school and sometimes I think 'If that (playground) was a construction site, worker's compensation would shut it down,'" said Terry Brookes of the YK1 school board.

The curriculum materials were purchased for the YK1 and Yellowknife Catholic School boards by the Elks Lodge, and the program is going to be monitored by the fire department, which will also help out with some of the programs upon request from the schools.

"Our teachers are quite happy to integrate more relevant and upgraded information and more attractive processes - you know, things that might make more impact on kids," said Gwen Keith, superintendent of Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

Fire chief Albert Headrick said the department will be monitoring the program closely to ensure its success in Yellowknife and hopefully convince the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to extend it to the entire territory.

The program gives children assignments to do to learn about safety rather than a list of things not to do.

"You don't want to take away fun, because when you take away fun they don't learn," said Brookes. "It's a 'to do' program, not a 'don't do' program. They don't learn when they're told what to do or not do. They learn when they're given latitude to jump around and experience things."

Students take on different roles as they progress from preschool to Grade 8. Preschool and kindergarten children are "storytellers" who share safety stories and present them in different formats. Students in Grades 1 and 2 are "detectives" who investigate situations to make educated choices and reduce their risk of injury.

In Grades 3 and 4, the kids are "reporters" and alert others to the potential risks of a given situation, after careful analysis. When they reach Grades 5 and 6, they become "promoters" and promote safe practices in their school and community.

Finally, in Grades 7 and 8 they are considered "coaches" and act as safe behaviour role models to the other kids.