The Think First Foundation is proud to be the neurosurgical community’s voice in helping to meet our shared goal of spinal cord and brain injury prevention education. With your support, Think First has educated over six million young people since its inception in 1990.
For our message to continue to be heard, our programs must continue to:
- Provide interesting, relevant, and timely curriculum to kids and teens;
- Provide comprehensive, effective training to key chapter personnel; and
- Enhance name recognition and revenues through friend-raising.
Curriculum Revision
The Think First for Kids curriculum is an excellent injury prevention tool offered to kids in grades 1 through 3 – an age where our studies tell us that injury prevention education can be most effective. However, as is true with all educational resources, it should be periodically updated and fine-tuned to remain interesting and relevant. The Think First Foundation Executive Committee reviewed suggestions in this area and, as such, has made minor changes to the curriculum and re-printed those materials.
The Think First for Kids curriculum was first developed in 1995. While these recent revisions have helped, more costly and time-consuming revisions are needed if we are to continue to get our message across to the ever-changing mindset of six-, seven-, and eight- year-olds. As funds become available, a major overhaul of the curriculum will get underway.
While it is painful to acknowledge, the need for violence prevention education has become relevant and timely. In fact, it seems that there is almost a daily reminder of this need. Since major attention to this curriculum is dependent upon funds, committee work is underway in outlining the foundation of a curriculum in this area.
Training Programs
The Think First Foundation recently adopted a new training program. Under the program, the Foundation offers one-day sessions at training centers conveniently located throughout the United States, including San Diego, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Columbia, Missouri; Shreveport, Louisiana; Charleston, South Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Marquette, Michigan; and Buffalo, New York. At the training centers, instruction and assistance are offered with program development, implementation, and evaluation. A complete packet of materials, including a curriculum, video, posters, and comics, as well as an instruction guide, is provided to attendees.
Since its inception in the fall of 1999, 24 groups have trained under the new program, bringing the total number of chapters and satellite programs up to 201 in the United States alone. Plans are underway to initiate new international programs, and join those already underway in Australia, Mexico, Canada, Chile, and Singapore.
More convenient locations and reduced training fees are making it easier for those who are interested in forming new Think First chapters. With these new chapters in place, our life-saving message can be provided to many more girls and boys.
Friend-Raising
Talk is cheap, but so very helpful for an organization dependent upon voluntary contributions. To that end, talk about us to your friends and associates. We know that you realize the importance of injury prevention education – make sure that others do, too. A new promotional brochure has recently been completed and is an excellent tool for introductions (see illustration). A supply of these brochures placed strategically in your office or carried along in your briefcases for distribution, can quickly make a new friend for Think First. Contact us and ask for your supply today.
The role of the neurosurgeon in friend-raising for the Think First Foundation will provide tremendous pay-offs in name recognition. Name recognition, in turn, leads to the generation of funds for our programs, and ultimately, to accomplishment of our shared goal – prevention of traumatic innjuries and loss of life.