What K-12 Schools Can Do
We're all in this together-- the more schools do to prepare now, before a big earthquake, the better all our lives will be after!
In 2008, over 200 districts and over 650 additional schools throughout southern California registered to participate, with nearly 4 million students and staff involved. For 2009, with schools all over California participating, this number could be doubled!
How to Participate:
- Today: Register your school or district to be counted in the ShakeOut Drill, get email updates, and more.
- Between now and October 15:
- Meet with your School Safety Committee to plan your drill. Plan to include everyone on campus in the drill. (See this page for what those with a disability or an activity limitation can do.) The ShakeOut Drill Planning Resources for Schools page has comprehensive materials to support you in organizing simple to advanced earthquake drills.
- Support preparedness throughout your community by sending ShakeOut Take-Home Materials home with students to help their families get prepared.
- Encourage teachers to discuss earthquakes and preparedness in class. The ShakeOut Educational Resources page has many materials and suggestions for activities.
- Evaluate and increase your school's level of preparedness. Download School Preparedness Materials that have been created to help prepare your school or district for Southern California’s next big quake.
- October 15: Implement your drill plan along with thousands of other schools across California!
Help Promote the ShakeOut:
- Invite your parents to register as families to participate in the ShakeOut. Use Parent/PTA meetings to spread the word.
- Record an auto-dial message to parents about your school's participation in the ShakeOut. Use or modify our sample phone script (English and Spanish)
- Display posters about ShakeOut in classrooms and offices on bulletin boards. Put ShakeOut flyers at your public counters. Include a flyer in paycheck envelopes, or an article in your school newsletter.
- Hold a meeting among your parents and staff and share personal and family preparedness information and discuss what individuals and their families can do to ShakeOut. Have everyone register while at the meeting, especially those without internet access.
- Design and host preparedness events to encourage your client community to join the ShakeOut and prepare for disasters. Create alliances with other organizations to make the event a bigger success.
