The Back Is Where It's At

The Back Is Where It´s At elementary seat belt program was designed to provide law enforcement officers with tools to educate children about the importance of proper seat belt use. The curriculum was created for Buckle Up Pennsylvania and uses many existing community resources.

The Back Is Where It´s At has reached approximately 36,000 elementary aged children in over 80 Pennsylvania schools since it began in 1999. Many municipal police officers and state troopers are currently trained to present this curriculum.

This safety program was developed specifically for police officers. It is designed to assist presenters through a self-contained training portfolio. The portfolio is equipped with a self-explanatory training tape and DVD, a step-by-step curriculum (complete with a removable guide for quick reference) and other materials necessary to facilitate a successful presentation.

The Back Is Where It´s At covers five significant safety topics: booster seats, seat belts, air bags, back seat usage for children 12 and under, and entire family usage. The program is designed for small group settings to encourage a more personalized and meaningful delivery. It is fast-paced to accommodate short attention spans and covers a multitude of material in a short period of time. Due to the fact that children are directly involved with this presentation, inattentiveness is rarely a problem. In many instances where The Back Is Where It´s At had been offered, it has become an integral part of the local seat belt safety initiative.

The programs are appropriate for Grades K-5. While we recommend that classroom presentations be scheduled with no more than two classes or 60 students per presentation, it is possible to do effective presentations for larger groups. Pre- and post-observation surveys can be completed, reaching students and their families.