The award-winning ThinkFirst for Teens School Assembly Program presents high-impact injury prevention presentations to Missouri schools free of charge.
Each Program Includes
Informative and Engaging Presentation
The presentation opens with a well-trained speaker explaining the basic anatomy of the central nervous system and the permanent physiological changes caused by a brain or spinal cord injury. Students learn the common causes of these injuries, ways to prevent them, and who is most at risk. Also stressed is the fact that although these injuries are permanent, they are often predictable and preventable.
Compelling Survivor Testimony
The most effective component of the program features the personal testimony of a ThinkFirst Voices for Injury Prevention (VIP) speaker. VIP speakers are people who have sustained a brain or spinal cord injury, usually due to a motor vehicle crash.
The VIP explains how the injury occurred, describes life before and after the injury, and talks about what it's like to be young and live with a disability. Students listen closely when a peer says, "I can't feel or move my legs anymore," "Dating is really different now," "I don't use the bathroom the way I used to," "If I'd worn my seatbelt, I wouldn't be paralyzed," or "I never thought this would happen to me." ThinkFirst Missouri VIP speakers are carefully selected for their ability to identify with and motivate young audiences.
Interactive Q&A
Following the VIP testimony, students have the opportunity to engage with the speakers through an insightful question & answer session.
High-Impact Film
If time permits, the film Think About Your Choices is shown. This film features riveting testimonies of young adults who have survived a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury.
Programs Available Throughout the State at NO CHARGE
Thanks to funding from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Traffic and Highway Safety Division, ThinkFirst Missouri presents assemblies in 66 counties across the state at NO CHARGE. Five additional ThinkFirst chapter sites across the state conduct similar assemblies in the remaining counties. See list of chapters and directors in Missouri.
