Journeys from Home Montana-Community Projects

TASK 1

Project Facilitators

Assemble four to six key persons with a strong desire to make their community a safe place for children and adults to walk and bicycle.
Persons should be selected from community members:

employed by the school district and city that have an understanding of traffic principles, community needs and child development.
of non-profit organizations interested in the welfare of all.
with a private business interest in the economic health of the community.

The facilitators will participate in a two day LEADERSHIP workshop. At the completion of this Leadership workshop the participants, will be able to conduct local in-service training and guide the implementation their Community Project.

Leadership training will include:
A look at national transportation issues
Treatments other communities have used
Neighborhood projects and "Complete Streets"
Childhood injury
Child development and learning styles
Teaching techniques, use of interactive audio visual material
Awareness and encouragement campaign
Law enforcement strategies
Information delivery through in-service workshops
Collecting local comments and concerns and incorporating them into a report

These Project Facilitators will assist in all phases of the in-service training and be responsible for conducting ongoing school site training workshops. As Project mentors they will have the skills and materials to give informational presentations to local service clubs and groups that support Engineering, Education, Encouragement and Enforcement as it relates to this Community Project.

TASK 2
Assess and Document

The Project Facilitators will review traffic calming treatments along with path and sidewalk development incorporated by other communities. With this new information and previously established knowledge they will build a master plan to present to community members, teachers, parents and volunteers. The plan will provide possible treatments to existing facilities and programs and will meet the needs of people of all ages and abilities. This presentation will demonstrate the knowledge and confidence necessary to successfully implement this project.

TASK 3
Conduct teacher in-service

Conduct a two day teacher training workshop. The Project Facilitators will play key roles in the operations and delivery of instruction.

The purpose of the Elementary Traffic Education teacher training workshop is to familiarize the classroom teacher with the Elementary Traffic Education curriculum, "Journeys From Home". This comprehensive curriculum will offer an opportunity for children to develop the physical skills and knowledge necessary to be responsible and predictable in traffic. The workshop will highlight current child vehicle conflicts and suggest countermeasures. Local teacher/parent comments and concerns will be documented and addressed. Recommendations will be implemented into the Project Report.

Additional reasons for attending the workshop are:
To clarify for children, staff, and community, the mission and elements of the Elementary Traffic Education Program curriculum.
To define developmentally appropriate activities for children.
To define which outcomes/objectives children should learn at which grades.
To define how this curriculum is organized so as to reduce unproductive repetition and important content variations.
To maintain reasonable consistency within a school's offerings so that children are able to receive approximately the same content throughout the community.
To establish a common base from which local educators, individually and as a group, can plan for instruction.
To identify resources that educators may use to teach specific outcomes to enhance the quality of instruction and reduce preparation time.
In an effort to build a strong network, community officials and citizen advocates will be invited to the local in-service training.

TASK 4
Conduct crossing guard in-service

Conduct one half day crossing guard in-service. The Project Facilitators will play key roles in the operation and delivery of instruction.

The purpose of the Elementary Traffic Education crossing guard in-service is to familiarize the crossing guards with the Elementary Traffic Education curriculum, "Journeys From Home". This comprehensive curriculum develops the physical skills and knowledge necessary for children to be responsible and predictable in traffic. The workshop will highlight current child vehicle conflicts and suggest countermeasures. This in-service will use the Florida Crossing Guard training packet. Local crossing guard comments and concerns will be documented and addressed. Recommendations will be implemented into the Project Report

TASK 5
Conduct Law Enforcement in-service

Conduct a Law Enforcement in-service. The Project Facilitators will play key roles in the operation and delivery of instruction.

The purpose of the Law Enforcement Tool Kit in-service is to familiarize law enforcement officers with the latest tools and techniques used by other communities in addressing unsafe bicycle practices and expectations of the Elementary Traffic Education curriculum, "Journeys From Home". This comprehensive curriculum develops the physical skills and knowledge necessary for children to be responsible and predictable in traffic. The workshop will highlight current child vehicle conflicts and suggested countermeasures. This in-service will also discuss the duties of school crossing guards. Local Law Enforcement Officers comments and concerns will be documented and addressed. Recommendations will be implemented into the Project Report

TASK 6
Conduct School Bus Driver in-service

Conduct a one hour professional driver in-service. The Project Facilitators will play key roles in the operation and delivery of instruction.

The purpose of the Elementary Traffic Education school bus driver in-service is to familiarize drivers with the Elementary Traffic Education curriculum, "Journeys From Home". This comprehensive curriculum develops the physical skills and knowledge necessary for children to be responsible and predictable in traffic. The workshop will highlight current child vehicle conflicts and suggested countermeasures. This in-service will also discuss the duties of school crossing guards and law enforcement procedures. Driver comments and concerns will be documented and addressed. Recommendations will be implemented into the Project Report.

TASK 7

Mentoring

conduct a two day leadership workshop for the Community Project. Research tools and techniques will be established. Informal community assessment and treatments will be explored. Strategies for success will be developed. We will keep in contact by e-mail, newsletter and phone.

We will conduct a two day teacher training in-service at the specified elementary school. The "Journeys From Home" program will offer continual updates to the education package and implementation process through the internet.

Work and service summary:

We will assist in building a small team of local citizens who will have the skills and materials to update and educate other members of this community about children and traffic. This team will assist in all training in-service programs and document any comments or concerns in the Project Report.

We will walk and bicycle with community members around schools, parks and areas where children frequent. Community members will document current use and make a wish list of facilities and programs to include people of all ages and all abilities.

We will conduct a teacher in-service with elementary physical education staff and select teachers of each grade level K-5.

We will conduct a crossing guard in-service.

We will conduct local law enforcement in-service.

We will conduct a school bus driver in-service.

We will keep in contact with the Project Facilitator Team.