The number one threat to the life and health of children is accidental injury, creating a dire need to instill in them and those who care for them an understanding of the consequences of risky behavior. Injury prevention and health promotion are not currently intrinsic components of any curriculum available for children grades kindergarten through 12.

Building on the framework of Healthy Tomorrow, a disability awareness education program growing out of the work of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on SCI, the NCSCIMS team is working to create and evaluate programs and materials aimed at integrating safety and health awareness into the body of knowledge that children embrace during the school years.

By instilling awareness of risky behaviors and health maintenance values at critically young ages, and reinforcing these in a positive and developmentally appropriate manner throughout childhood, we aim to reduce the likelihood of disability and the cascade of negative secondary effects of disability if it does occur. Further, this program secondarily presents positive messages to parents and educators, whose behavior is critical in shaping and changing the behaviors of the youngest members of our society.

View a 10-minute video on the Healthy Tomorrow Pilot Program