Youth Preparedness Programs at American Red Cross
The American Red Cross’s Youth preparedness education focuses on providing age-appropriate emergency and disaster preparedness information to youth in an engaging way.
With the increase in the occurrence and severity of hazards across the world, now more than ever, providing life-saving information to the younger generation is crucial. Often labeled as vulnerable, the youth of the world consistently prove their resilience and dedication to leaving a positive impact on the world and proper emergency and disaster preparedness education must be provided to them to ensure they and their communities can help stay safe.
Our youth preparedness education provides information on the science behind hazards, general preparedness information, and coping skills.
Discover our programs
Through our youth preparedness education programs we’ve reached over 2 million students since implementation in 2015. We have 15 verified lives saved through our education and thousands of others who have been positively impacted through our programming.
Prepare with Pedro is a youth preparedness education program designed for students ages 4-8 years-old that follow Pedro the Penguin as he learns how to be prepared for and take action during emergencies, such as earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes and more. Students learn about the science behind the hazard, protective actions, coping skills and how they can help everyone in their household stay safe. Traditionally provided in a classroom setting as an 30-45 min storybook presentation, the program has also expanded into animated videos and voice activated skills.
The Pillowcase Project is a youth preparedness education program designed for students ages 8-12 years-old that teaches about personal and household safety, local hazards and the science behind them and coping skills. Taught through the “Learn, Practice, Share” framework, students are taught protective actions in an engaging and age-appropriate way. This program is taught through a 40-60 minute presentation and students are provided with a pillowcase and a workbook (if available) to take home to ensure that their entire household has the knowledge to help stay safe during an emergency.
Award Winning Programs
Not only do our programs save lives, but they are also award-winning!
Red Cross for Kids: Animated Videos
March 2023
Silver Winner: Humanitarian Action & Services Special Projects, Awareness and Media Categories (Nonprofit)
Pedro's Fire Challenge
February 2022
Silver Winner: Responsible Technology, Product, Product, Innovation, or Service Categories (Not-For-Profit)