about us

ThinkFirst BC is growing fast! It started in North Vancouver in 2003 with the guidance and enthusiasm of Dr. Brian Hunt and Jennifer Burns. This year, under the direction of John Campbell, ThinkFirst BC is set to spread the message of brain and spinal cord injury prevention to elementary schools in Metro Vancouver. Our goal is to reach as many children and youth in BC as possible and provide ThinkFirst For Kids safety program binders to elementary schools in BC.

contact ThinkFirst BC coordinator:

Cynthia Yuan, for volunteering, event opportunities, school presentation bookings, donation and general inquiries.
T: 604-910-1795
E: cyuan[at]cw.bc.ca

Address: L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4

Also available: ThinkFirst BC Brochure for general information and volunteer opportunities.

updates

• Since our implementation of the Quebec chapter presentation model we have had tremendous success! Here are our stats since 2008:
• We have:
• Presented to a total of 31 elementary schools in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Provided ThinkFIrst BC Presentations to 6303 students in Kindergarten to Grade 7 in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Presented to over 177 classrooms in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Fraser Valley
• Attended 22 community presentations
• Distributed 58 helmets to schools
• Donated 23 books to schools
• Trained 12 volunteer presenters
• Trained 4 V.I.P. presenters
• Implemented ThinkFirst Brain Day in February 2010 and trained 5 Brain Day volunteer presenters

volunteer opportunities

Event Volunteer
Assist at helmet-fitting clinics and community events (e.g. Telus World of Science brain booth). Training will be provided. Please contact Cynthia Yuan at cyuan[at]cw.bc.ca for more information.

Brain Day Volunteers Needed:
We are seeking enthusiastic individuals interested in making science (specifically the brain) fun for grade 5 students. Brain Day presenters will work in pairs to deliver a fun and engaging half day program to grade 5 classrooms during March 2011 (1-2 day commitment). Four training sessions will be provided between November 2010 and February 2011. Please contact Cynthia Yuan at cyuan[at]cw.bc.ca. for more information.

Presenter
Make ThinkFirst BC presentations at elementary schools to help spread our message. We need enthusiastic individuals who are comfortable presenting to groups of school-age children. Training will be provided. Please contact Cynthia Yuan for more information.

VIP (Voice in Injury Prevention)
Injury survivors have an opportunity to influence changes in behaviour when they speak to school-aged children and youth about their experiences. Training will be provided. Please contact Shannon Piedt for more information.

what we do

Our program motivates kids to keep themselves safe:

ThinkFirst BC Presentation

Our school presentations engage students through stories and games to learn about the brain and spinal cord and how to protect them. During our visit, a ThinkFirst presenter, accompanied by a brain or spinal cord injury survivor will present the following to students:

• The brain and spinal cord: what are they and what do they do?
• What happens when the brain and spinal cord get hurt?
• Ways to protect the brain and spinal cord
• Proper helmet fitting
• An injury survivor’s story

We will spend a half day at any elementary school making 20-45 minute presentations to two grade levels at a time (K/1, 2/3, 4/5, and 6/7). ThinkFirst BC has been very well received by students, teachers and principals for the past 2 years.

ThinkFirst BC also leaves each school a package that contains:

• Thinkfirst For Kids Curriculum binders – Kindergarten to grade 7, easy-to-use 6-lesson plan program that is proven to successfully teach safety to Canadian children and youth
• 2 free helmets
• Helmet-fitting brochures
• A fictional children’s book (donation for the school library)

FEE RANGE: $150-$350 (covers materials, mileage and honorarium for our brain-injury survivor).

If cost is a barrier to receiving our program, please contact us.

 

Testimonials:

"...on Friday we had Dustin and Charles here at Norgate to do a ThinkFirst presentation. I sat in on the presentation and thought it was excellent. Dustin was so effective in his presentation style and according to staff was ale to adjust his presentation to match the age group he was working with at the time. He and Charles made an excellent team and I really appreciate them both coming. In addition, Dustin did some helmet fitting and this was great because many of our children who brought their helmets got to wear them for the ride on their bikes. It was great!" - Katherine Kee, Norgate Elementary School.

"I just wanted to thank you, Shara and her family for the engaging, instructive, and touching presentation." - Rowshanak Vessali, Trafalgar Elementary School.

For mor information or to book a presentation, please contact Cynthia Yuan, ThinkFirst BC Presentation Coordinator at cyuan[at]cw.bc.ca or 604-910-1795.

Thinkfirst For Kids Safety Program

The program materials are FREE OF CHARGE!
Thinkfirst For Kids is an elementary school program available in both English and French for Kindergarten – grade 7 that addresses:

• Understanding the Brain and Spinal Cord
Pedestrian and vehicular safety
• Cycling safety
• Recreational, playground, sports and water safety
• Creative problem solving
• Avoiding choking, strangulation, suffocation & hazardous substances

Teachers choose how they wish to teach the six lessons. The program was designed to be integrated into class schedules according to the teacher’s discretion or preference. Program components include:

• ‘User-friendly’ lesson plans with reproducible teacher resource and student work sheets, including the ThinkFirst At Home activity sheet
• Coloured classroom posters that highlight the key messages
• A 10 minute video (This video is shown during the first lesson, introduces that one can still have fun while being safe!)
• Suggested resources to augment the program
• Evaluation sheet including assessment rubrics and comments section
• A Safety Super Hero Student Diploma
• A school certificate of participation (suitable for framing and yearly stickers)

Please contact ThinkFirst BC Coordinators Shannon Piedt or Cynthia Yuan should you wish to obtain a copy of the program.

Booth at Community Events

We teach kids and parents how to fit a helmet properly and which sports require one. We use interactive activities to show kids parts of the brain and its functions and how it may affect our actions when it's damaged. In addition, we have helmet draws at the ThinkFirst booths.

success stories

2010

• Took part in the BCIRPU 2010 Teleconference Series: The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit hosted a teleconference series throughout 2010.
• Was involved in the BC Injury Prevention Conference held on November 8 and 9, 2010.

2009

• Recruited 4 VIPs (Voices of injury prevention), trained 11 volunteers and attended 11 community events.
• On average in 2009, ThinkFirst BC presented to 3-4 schools in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. They've networked with 242 teachers, educated 5066 students in 24 different schools and have given away 54 helmets.
• Held ThinkFirst booths at the following community events: IKEA Safety Fair, Campbell River Presentation to Skaters, Summer Fun Day, Safety and Security Sunday, Safe Communities Day, ICBC Conference.

• ThinkFirst BC supported and participated in a national research study to collect data on 1) the number of children and youth cycling to school during May and June and 2) the number of children and youth who cycling around their community in the summer. This study was lead by Dr. Ian Pike, Dr. Alison MacPherson, and Dr. Mariana Brussoni. Cynthia Yuan worked hard as a data collector for the project. The research findings have yet to be analyzed, but initial data show that very few children cycle to the 25 elementary schools in the Vancouver region. In general, there were more adult cyclists observed on bike paths, especially in areas of higher socio-economic status.

• Contributed an article to Headline magazine written by Shannon Piedt and Silvia van Dooren entitled The Importance of Injury Prevention According to Four Brain Injury Survivors.

fundraising initiatives

Financial assistance goes directly to ThinkFirst BC programs and is always much appreciated. Please contact Cynthia Yuan at cyuan[at]cw.bc.ca to make a donation.

advisory board

John Campbell, Chair and Co-Director
Dr. Brian Hunt, Neurosurgeon, Lions Gate Hospital, Co-Director
Landon James, Registured Nurse, Treasurer
Dr.Ash Singhal, Neurosurgeon, BC Children's Hospital
Connie Johnson, BCIT Nursing Instructor
Jennifer Burns, Elementary school teacher, North Vancouver
Dr. Shelina Babul, Associate Director, BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit
Matt Herman, Director, Injury Prevention & Healthy Built Environment, Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport
Garth Young, Account Executive, Aviva Canada, Inc.

For more information about injury prevention in BC or getting involved with our program, please contact Cynthia Yuan, ThinkFirst BC Coordinators. Thank you!

We encourage you to visit the Community Against Preventable Injuries’ web site: www.preventable.ca

54

54 helmets given away during the 2008/2009 school year!

5066

During the 2008/2009 school year ThinkFirst BC presented to 5066 students in 24 schools!