Now that the school season is officially in full swing, NJ Transit has been starting off the school year with four innovative programs meant to help students of all ages. The programs come as a part of NJ Transit’s comprehensive Safety Education Program.
Special Safety Education Awareness Training (SEAT) focuses on the importance of rail safety for students with special needs. Protecting Our Pedestrians (POP) is aimed towards encouraging pedestrian safety for students ranging from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Safety Town provides children with instructions on safety measures in a mobile replica town. Lastly, Safety Rules! encourages overall safety around the transit system.
“NJ TRANSIT’s Special SEAT and Protecting Our Pedestrians programs reflect our dedication to creating a safer environment for students across New Jersey,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “By offering tailored safety education to students with special needs and promoting pedestrian safety for all, we are laying the groundwork for a lifetime of safe transit use.”
Special SEAT
Special SEAT provides 40-minute training sessions spread out over multiple weeks to help educate students with special needs. Special SEAT uses a modified version of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve awareness of transportation safety. Specifically, it focuses on being aware of one’s surroundings when near the tracks.
The program provides:
- An engaging and interactive presentation that utilizes puppets, arts and crafts and more
- Age-appropriate materials
- Safety tips and procedures
- Meets the IDEA and Core standards
Protecting Our Pedestrians
This program features a 45-minute presentation, which addresses crossing streets and intersections safely, as well as parking lot safety and traffic hazards/signals. The discussion also talks about the dangers of railroad tracks, to ensure everyone’s safety at all times.
Safety Town
Safety Town is a nationally recognized program designed for students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. It is a cooperative effort between NJ Transit, University Hospital of Newark and other community organizations. It uses a mobile replica town to teach children about the different areas of transportation safety, including bike, rail and pedestrian.
Safety Rules!
The Safety Rules! presentation is designed to teach students about the need for safe behavior around trains and other modes of transport. The 45-minute presentation is free to public, non-profit and charter schools, as well as community groups.