Resources: Challenges

Overcoming Common Challenges:
Implementing the Canadian Risk Watch

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In recent months, OFM staff had a number of opportunities to talk with Risk Watch coalitions across the province at various information sessions and informally (e.g. during presentations at FireCon in Thunder Bay and the Northeast Public Education Conference in North Bay; during an information session with coalition members in North Bay; during informal telephone discussions).

During those discussions, coalitions identified a number of challenges they face when implementing the new Canadian Risk Watch in their communities. Also raised were possible solutions to these challenges.

One of the goals of the OFM is to provide coalitions an opportunity to share their experiences and ideas to help find solutions to the challenges.

The following summary of the challenges and solutions provides considerable insight into ways of re-building interest and commitment to Risk Watch in your community.

Challenges and Solutions Identified by Risk Watch Coalitions

Generally, the identified challenges can be grouped by six common themes (each of which is discussed below):

Finding the financing and human resources within the coalition/fire department to make the program widely available.
Ensuring there is training on the new program for both coalitions and teachers.
Keeping coalitions motivated.
Teacher-related issues:
1. How to increase teachers’ and school administrators’ interest and willingness to use the program, especially given the many other programs offered by other sectors and groups in the community;
2. Providing on-going support and motivation to teachers.
Making the program interesting for students.
Developing broad-based support for the program:
1. From the school board;
2. From the community.

1. Financial/Human Resources Coalitions expressed concerns about not being able to raise funds to purchase the new Risk Watch binders and CDs. Coalitions also indicated that each teacher needs a copy of the program. If a teacher has to go to the school library to get the program, or is sharing it with another teacher, it is less likely to be used. Also, small and volunteer fire departments expressed concern about having enough time and staff resources to devote to the implementation and on-going support of the program.

Suggested Solutions: The Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council is developing a new fundraising program called the Risk Watch Ambassador Program. Community groups, service clubs, local businesses and individuals can sponsor a classroom in a local school for $100 or an entire school for $2500. Contact the Council’s Anne Miller at 416-325-3152 for more information.

For those fire departments with few staff members, it is important to develop a coalition with human resources and expertise to share. Consider expanding the coalition to include membership beyond the traditional disciplines (i.e. fire, police, health, education). There may be other groups, agencies or associations that would be interested in participating and may have valuable contributions to offer.

2. Training for Coalitions and Teachers – Suggested Solutions: Coalitions indicated they would like to see more local training sessions on the new program. The OFM will be holding regional training sessions across the province. Coalitions can use the information provided in these sessions as part of their in-service training of teachers. Stay tuned for a communiqué and training request form coming from the OFM in coming weeks.

3. Keeping Coalitions Motivated – Suggested Solutions: Coalitions indicated that meeting regularly with other area coalitions provides a very useful forum to share ideas and talk about the challenges (and solutions) in their communities. Make sure that meeting minutes are promptly circulated and take advantage of existing communications networks.

Also, the OFM is developing a Risk Watch web site that will include a message board or chat room to which coalitions from across the province can log in and share ideas, concerns and solutions to issues in their communities. The purpose is to help develop a network that coalitions can rely on for support and information. The web site will also allow the OFM to provide updates or alerts about the program to coalitions as needed, and other background information that coalitions can use in training and information sessions with teachers, school administrators and the public.

4a. How to increase teachers’ interest and willingness to use the program: Coalitions indicated that teachers can be hesitant to use Risk Watch if they think it will add to their workload or if they are not familiar or comfortable with the program. Some coalitions believe that over time, teachers lose interest in the program and eventually devote a decreasing amount of time to it in the classroom.

Suggested Solutions: Coalitions highlighted the importance of providing good, easy-to-follow in-service training sessions for teachers to ensure they fully understand all aspects of the program. To get teacher buy-in and to ensure teachers use the program once they have it, coalitions indicate that:

Teachers need to be part of coalitions. This provides legitimacy to the program when the coalition approaches schools regarding implementing Risk Watch. Teachers on coalitions can “speak the same language” as those considering the program and thus can more positively influence them.
Teachers need to be shown that the provincial curriculum expectations are built into the Risk Watch resources so using the lessons is not more work, but a way to deliver the provincial curriculum in a fun way. Also, Risk Watch must be presented to teachers as a teaching resource. Referring to it as a curriculum results in teachers thinking it is a work-intensive program.
Teachers need to be shown the changes in the new program, i.e. the Canadian content, French version, and regional issues.
Coalitions need to be in constant contact with teachers to ensure the Risk Watch lessons are taught (contact can include visits to the school, telephone calls to teachers, distributing regular newsletters, etc.).
Coalitions believe lessons are most likely to be used in classrooms if coalition members (i.e. personnel from the fire department, police, health unit, etc.) go into the classroom and teach the lessons/make presentations themselves.
Coalitions need to identify a champion in each school – a teacher who will promote the program in each school and who is willing to encourage other teachers in the school to implement it in their classrooms.
Curriculum correlations need to be provided for teachers to show how the program fits with provincial teaching expectations. The OFM is currently developing the correlations, and will provide this information to coalitions when complete.
Increased school board involvement (i.e. getting the board to endorse the program, having a write-up in a school board newsletter, having the board participate/endorse in-service training) would serve as an extra incentive or push for teachers to use the program.
An endorsement of the program from the Ministry of Education would be a big incentive to teachers. The OFM has been in contact with the ministry. More information is forthcoming.

4b. Providing on-going support and motivation to teachers – Suggested Solutions: Coalitions indicated that motivating teachers is an important aspect to ensuring the program is used on an on-going basis. They also stated that coalitions have to act as a resource or support to teachers to help ensure the program is utilized. Many use the following incentives and techniques:

Approaching teachers and offering to make classroom presentations (rather than waiting for an invitation) on specific injury areas and providing expert information as needed are important ways to provide support.
As indicated above, coalitions stated that regular, personal contact with teachers is vital. Providing a regular reminder to teachers to use the program is vital.
Providing teachers with regular updates (e.g. through a regular newsletter) about how their school and other schools in the school board are progressing, or how they are using Risk Watch, helps to motivate and encourage teachers.
Getting a commitment from teachers by asking them to complete a yearly plan of when they will be teaching the different safety areas of the program (e.g. October for Fire Prevention) so that the coalition can inform fire, police, health, etc. that there will be a call coming for a presentation is a way of motivating teachers.
Holding school-wide and inter-school competitions based on the number of Risk Watch lessons taught with the winning class receiving a prize.
Publishing in school newsletters or local newspapers students’ work done as part of the Risk Watch program.
Encouraging teachers to have students present their completed Risk Watch work at monthly school assemblies.
Holding one or two-day Risk Watch blitzes in which representatives from the eight injury areas provide displays in an auditorium and students are invited to visit the displays. A variety of contests, games, etc. can be used to develop interest in these days.
Appreciation dinners and other motivational incentives (i.e. Risk Watch note pads, key rings, highlighters, etc.) for teachers and classroom pizza parties for students.

5. Making the Program Interesting for Students: Coalitions stated that one of the criticisms of the old version of Risk Watch was that the activities were not age-appropriate and that there was not enough variety in the activities in order to be relevant and interesting for students.

Suggested Solutions: Specific attention was paid to the quality and variety of activities when the new version was being developed. All lesson plans were developed by teachers who had extensively used the original Risk Watch. The grade 5/6 and 7/8 modules have been completely redesigned to ensure the activities are age-appropriate, interesting, and relevant to students.

6a. Support from the School Boards: Coalitions indicated that it is difficult to generate teacher interest in Risk Watch if there is little or no support for the program from the school board. Such support would help encourage teachers to use the program.

Suggested solutions: As indicated above, coalitions suggest that school boards need to become more involved in the program. This includes having school board representatives at in-service training sessions, including write-ups about the program in school board newsletters and communication vehicles, and getting formal endorsements of the program from the school board. It was also suggested that rather than leaving it to one member of the coalition to try to convince the school board to support the program, enlist the support of the entire coalition. Having all coalition members approach the board as a united group can lend additional support and credibility to the program and will help convince school boards to endorse Risk Watch.

The OFM will be sending letters to each school board across the province encouraging them to implement Risk Watch in their schools. The letter is intended to inform school boards that Risk Watch is a province-wide program, not merely a local initiative.

6b. Support from the Community: Coalitions suggested that if there were more awareness of injury as a problem in their communities, there would be greater interest in and support for Risk Watch in the schools. Currently, many teachers, principals and members of the public do not see injury as a priority issue, and thus it is difficult to interest them in an injury prevention program.

Suggested Solutions: Many coalitions attempt to raise the profile of injury as a community problem and the role Risk Watch can play in preventing it by presenting Risk Watch displays at various community events and fairs. Others contact the local media whenever they hold a Risk Watch event – large or small - to increase the media coverage and profile of injury prevention. The OFM has developed news release templates that coalitions can use when launching the new Risk Watch in their communities.