Operation Lifesaver introduces virtual rail safety resources for kids

(Source: Progressive Railroading 10/06/2020)

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) announced yesterday it has recreated some of its education materials into virtual resources to help teach children ages 5 to 13 years old the importance of making safe choices around trains and tracks.

The resources are free and designed to be viewed virtually from home, school, on laptops, tables, desktops and mobile devices, OLI officials said in a press release.

The materials are designed to engage children with narrative stories, active play and characters that children can identify with, said OLI Education Manager Moriah Whitman. 

Materials include: Virtual Trains & Tracks, for children in kindergarten through second grade; and Main Line Middle School, for children in the fourth through eighth grades. The programs are available on the OL For Kids section of OLI’s website.

The revamped children’s educational materials are part of OLI’s mission to raise public awareness about railroad safety. Every three hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train, according to OLI.