Our mission is to provide age and developmentally appropriate training courses and programs that will give the skills and confidence to act in emergency situations and prepare for disasters in the Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana communities.
Our vision is to make sure our communities are ready and prepared for disasters, train individuals to know how and when to help in an emergency situation and how to live a healthier lifestyle.
The Lewis Health and Safety Nonprofit Organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides a variety of programs and course trainings to the Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana communities. We conduct youth programs at local schools, libraries, day cares, community centers, churches and youth organizations. We are a nationally recognized provider trainer for American Red Cross and American Heart Association courses, trainings and presentations.
All of our youth programs are conducted at your campus location and all training materials and supplies are provided by our organization.
All informative programs (Disaster Preparedness; Water (informative) Safety; Informative CPR/First Aid) are fee free. A donation is recommended, however it is not required.
All certification courses (Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED/First Aid) have authorization fees through the American Red Cross and/or American Heart Association as well as required participation materials. For these courses, the school can either purchase the materials and pay for the authorization fees directly or we can pay for everything and invoice the school. We do offer a Net 30 option as well.
NEW: We will begin offering the American Red Cross First Aid for Severe Trauma (FAST) course in the Fall of 2022. This course is covered and fee free through grants for students in 9-12th grade and students under the age of 19. This grant covers digital materials that the students will need to be able to access during the course. To purchase in-hand, paper participant manuals, the school can purchase directly through the American Red Cross or we can pay and invoice the school.
To schedule a program or course to be conducted at your school campus, contact our office by calling (409) 679-7367 or email lewishealthandsafety@gmail.com.
The Lewis Health and Safety Nonprofit Organization and the American Red Cross is committed to helping the youth become better prepared for a disaster or emergency. We work closely with schools, scout groups, and youth-serving organizations to raise awareness of disaster risk and build resiliency among young people. Our age-appropriate preparedness materials and trainings educate youth with engaging activities and easy action steps. Each program presentation has individual lesson plans for Grades K-2nd; Grades 3rd-5th; Grades 6th-8th; Grades 9th-12th.
Lessons are enjoyable and interactive, ensuring that the youth are having fun while internalizing important life skills though building capabilities in Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. Masters of Disaster can be used to help reduce the youth's anxiety about unknown aspects of disasters and tragic events. They will also gain confidence to deal successfully with life's unexpected turns.
Be Disaster Safe
Class Description: This class will provide the youth with knowledge of the disaster cycle; provide disaster safety instruction on making disaster plans and building disaster supplies kits; help the youth learn how to prepare for disasters, stay safe and help others during and after a disaster.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Earthquakes
Class Description: This class will provide the youth with accurate information about earthquakes and earthquake safety to ensure they will be able to act safely and calmly should one occur; teach how and why earthquakes occur; help youth learn how to prepare for an earthquake appropriately, to stay safe, and to help others during and after one.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Facing Fear
Class Description: This class will address tough questions about terrorism, war and pandemic flu and reduce the youth's anxiety about future events by teaching them how to prepare for and to respond to unexpected events; provide the youth with accurate information about terrorism, war and flu pandemic; provide an understanding to students of who helps in times of war and discuss the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law (Grades 6-8); provide the youth with an awareness of plans in place to help make everyone more secure and warn of any terrorism act; provide the youth with an understanding that there are things they can do every day to prevent the spread of disease, even during a pandemic..
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minute
Fire Prevention and Safety
Class Description: This class will provide the youth with accurate information about fires and how they occur to help them prevent harmful fires from occurring; teach how to be prepared for a potential fire; help the youth learn how to respond if a fire does occur in the home or any structure.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Floods
Class Description: This class will provide the youth with accurate information about floods and what causes them; teach the youth the difference between a flood and a flash flood; create an understanding of safe behavior before, during and after a flood.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Home Safety
Class Description: This class will provide the youth with an understanding of safe behavior in and out of the home; help the youth figure out and internalize ways to prevent accidents at home; provide a basic understanding of body systems to illustrate how injuries happen and how to avoid burns, breathing emergencies, slips, trips, falls and poisoning for both the students and families; create safer home environments through this safety education.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Hurricanes
Class Description: This class will help the youth gain an understanding of the nature of and correct response to hurricanes; reduce anxiety about future events by teaching them how to prepare for, and respond to, hurricanes; provide the youth with accurate information about hurricanes to ensure they will be able to act safely and calmly should one occur; create an understanding of how hurricanes form and the overall impact that one can have on a community; teach the youth the safe actions to take when a hurricane Watch or Warning occurs.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
In the Aftermath
Class Description: This class will help the youth recover from a disaster if one happens; reduce anxiety about the future by helping them learn how to cope with the changes brought about in times of disaster and begin to recover and help build the community back better; help the youth with the understanding of the impact of a disaster; help the youth express feelings and focus on positive memories and encourage them to maintain an optimistic viewpoint; teach the youth that coping with change will be easier if they get back into set routines.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Lightning
Class Description: This class will help the youth remain safe from lightning; provide the youth with accurate information about what causes lightning; teach the youth what safe behavior is during a thunderstorm.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Tornadoes
Class Description: This class will help the youth deal with the threat of tornadoes; provide accurate information about tornadoes and how they form; teach safe actions to take if a tornado WATCH or WARNING is issued in their area; provide information on preparing for, and responding to, a tornado so that students will react safely.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Wildland Fires
Class Description: This class will teach the youth the meaning of wildland fires; explain how wildland fires start so that students understand how to prevent them in the future; increase the knowledge of the youth in wildland fire safety; teach how to protect their home if they do live within these areas.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
First Aid and Preparedness - Primary Schools (Grades 1st through 5th)
Class Description: The purpose of this class is to teach the youth how to Be Red Cross Ready. This class teaches three action steps for emergency preparedness - get a kit, make a plan and be informed. It also teaches the youth to prevent and respond to emergencies that they are most likely to encounter. The youth will learn how to recognize emergencies, call 9-1-1, help someone who is choking, care for common household emergencies and control bleeding.
Time Frame: 1.5 to 2 hours
First Aid and Preparedness - Middle Schools (Grades 6th through 8th)
Class Description: The purpose of this class is to introduce the youth to the idea of emergency preparedness, including the need to plan for emergencies to stay safe and for building and maintaining a disaster supplies kit; introduce the youth to the principles of first aid; give the youth the chance to learn and practice basic first aid skills; and encourage the youth to volunteer and help others.
Time Frame: 1.5 to 2 hours
First Aid and Preparedness - Secondary Schools (Grades 9th through 12th)
Class Description: The purpose of this class is to introduce the youth to the concepts of emergency preparedness for homes, schools and workplaces including: the need to plan for emergencies; building and maintaining a disaster supplies kit; introduce the youth to the principles of first aid; give the youth the chance to learn and practice basic first aid skills; and encourage the youth to volunteer and help others.
Time Frame: 1.5 to 2 hours
This program offers classes to the youth ages 5 to 18 years old in the Southeast Texas community and includes informative and certification First Aid and CPR classes, Babysitter's Training, personal hygiene, bloodborne pathogens and more! All First Aid and CPR classes (informative or certification) will follow either American Red Cross or American Heart Association material. These classes will help the youth recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies and much more! It will also teach skills that the youth need to know to give immediate care to a suddenly injured or ill person until more advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Scrubby Bear - Personal Hygiene
Class Description: The Scrubby Bear® hand washing class consists of materials developed to aid in instructing children as to the importance of good hand washing habits in preventing diseases such as Infectious Diarrhea, Hepatitis A, and colds. Scrubby Bear® reminds children and adults that infection can be fought through reinforced by his message, “Don’t get sick, Wash up quick!” Children love Scrubby and really respond to his message. Children will hear a story about Scrubby Bear, be amazed by the “glo-germs” a black light picks up, receive a “Scrubby Bear Clean Hands Club” membership card and will learn the Scrubby Bear hand washing song! With these activities and more, we can improve the child’s knowledge and hygiene.
Time Frame: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Recommended Age: 5-8 years old
Hands Only CPR
Class Description: If you see a friend or adult suddenly collapse, hands only CPR is the recommended form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It not only increases the likelihood of surviving breathing and cardiac emergencies that occur outside of medical settings, but is simple to learn and easy to remember.
Time Frame: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Recommended Age: 5-18 years old
First Aid: Informative and Certification
Class Description: In this First Aid Certification Class, youth individuals will learn how to care for and recognize the following medical conditions and emergencies: Asthma; Anaphylaxes; Burns; Choking; Diabetic Emergencies; External Bleeding; Environmental Emergencies; Heart Attack; Poisoning; Neck, head and spinal injuries; Stroke; Seizure.
Time Frame: 2 hours
Recommended Age for Informative: 5-18 years old
Recommended Age for Certification: 12-18 years old
CPR: Informative and Certification
Class Description: This class will help youth participants recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac and breathing emergencies. The skills the youth will learn will be how to correctly and effectively perform CPR on an Adult, Child and/or Infant. We highly recommend that the youth individual participates in an informative or “Hands Only” CPR class before registering for a certification class.
Time Frame: 4 hours
Recommended Age for Informative: 5-18 years old
Recommended Age for Certification: 12-18 years old
Longfellow's WHALE Tales - Ages 5 through 12 years old
The Longfellow's WHALE Tales is part of the American Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety program. The American Red Cross believes that one way to help reduce drowning incidents among children ages 5 through 12 is to teach water safety education in elementary schools and other youth programs such as those programs the Lewis Health and Safety Nonprofit Organization provides to the youth in the Southeast Texas community.
Swim as a Pair Near a Lifeguard's Chair
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to recognize the potential dangers of swimming alone; explain the importance of swimming in supervised (lifeguard) areas only; explain what a buddy is; understand what a lifeguard does; identify some safety equipment; explain the patterns of behavior that whales have to help keep them safe; recognize a safe place for swimming; create a water safety poster that shows people swimming as a pair near a lifeguard's chair.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Be Cool, Follow the Rules
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to identify rules for safe participation in water activities at pools, waterparks, oceans, lakes and rivers; explain how following safety rules can prevent accidents; describe the features of a safe swimming area; demonstrate an understanding of safety rules by creating posters designed to teach the rules to others
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Look Before You Leap
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to recognize a safe place for swimming; identify the safety equipment that should be at a safe swimming site; explain how to check the water to see if it is safe for swimming; explain some rules for safe diving; understand how wind affects waves and currents in water; describe how pollution affects ocean creatures and water environments; understand a food chain; explain how to protect themselves while swimming by using sunscreen and wearing water shoes.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Think So You Don't Sink
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to explain panic and describe ways to stay calm in an aquatic emergency; determine if an object floats better in fresh water or salt water; identify ways to stay safe in an aquatic emergency; explain how to stay safe if caught in a river or ocean current; recognize the potential hazards of being immersed in cold water; define hypothermia and identify the signals of hypothermia; describe how to prevent hypothermia; know how to handle exhaustion or sudden leg cramps.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Reach or Throw, Don't Go
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to describe the behaviors (signs) of someone who is having trouble in the water; describe the behaviors (signs) of a drowning person; explain buoyancy; explain how to help someone who is drowning or needs help in the water; identify objects that would work for reaching assists; identify objects that would be good for a throwing assist; explain why only a lifeguard should go into the water to rescue someone; demonstrate how to properly throw a floating object to someone who is drowning or needs help in the water; list some water rescue methods that are safe; make a rescue throwing device (heaving jug).
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Don't Just Pack It, Wear Your Jacket
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to explain the importance of wearing a life jacket; define PFD; understand how to check the label to see if a life jacket is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard; explain how to select a life jacket; understand why a life jacket should fit properly; demonstrate how to put on a life jacket.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Think Twice Before Going Near Cold Water or Ice
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to recognize the potential hazards of being immersed in cold water; define hypothermia; identify the signs of hypothermia; explain how to prevent hypothermia; recognize the importance of wearing a life jacket when around cold water; name two methods of conserving body heat when in a cold water situation; understand the HELP and huddle positions; explain why you should only go on ice that has been tested and approved; describe how to rescue yourself if you fall through the ice; explain safe ways to respond in a cold water emergency.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Know About Boating Before You Go Floating
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to name the main parts of a boat; explain some boating terms; describe some important safety equipment that should be on a boat; demonstrate putting on a life jacket; explain how to board a boat; understand how to balance a boat; explain what to do if a boat capsizes (turns over).
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Too Much Sun is No Fun
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to describe sunburn; list types of skin damage caused by too much sun; list types of eye damage caused by too much sun; explain how sunscreen prevents sunburn and helps prevent skin cancer; explain the importance of wearing protective clothing while in the sun for extended periods; name three things everyone should do to avoid skin damage; name one thing everyone should do to avoid eye damage.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
In Your House and in Your Yard, Watch for Water, Be on Guard
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to identify sources of water around the house and yard; list water hazards around the house or yard; identify potentially dangerous sources of water in the neighborhood; describe different types of flooding; define flash flooding; explain safe behavior to follow in a flash flood warning; describe how to help someone who falls into floodwater; describe how to help yourself if you fall into floodwater.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Wave, Tide or Ride, Follow the Guide
Class Description: After completing this lesson, students will be able to describe the features of a waterpark; explain how to stay safe at a waterpark; demonstrate the correct riding position for a water slide; describe the features of a waterfront; name three different types of waterfront; define surf beach; explain how to stay safe at a waterfront; define rip current; understand how to swim in a rip current.
Time Frame: 30 – 45 minutes
A person can die from severe blood loss in less than 5 minutes. Would you know what to do if faced with a life-threatening bleeding emergency? Learn bleeding control skills with First Aid for Severe Trauma (FAST), a national STOP THE BLEED® course from the American Red Cross. While FAST is available for anyone, the course and digital materials will be offered at no charge to high school students under the age of 19.
FAST is the first national STOP THE BLEED® course designed specifically for high school students, but anyone can take the course and benefit from the training.
You can save a life: Preparing for bleeding emergencies; recognizing that a bleeding emergency exists; emergency action steps; deciding to act in an emergency.
Safety in emergency situations: Keeping yourself safe in an emergency; helping others to safety; violent situations.
Communicating in emergency situations: Communication basics; communicating with others at the scene; communicating with the emergency dispatcher.
Caring for a person with life-threatening bleeding: Using pressure to stop bleeding; applying direct pressure; using a tourniquet; after the bleeding stops.
TIME: 135 minutes total
Thanks to grant support from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, the course and digital materials will be offered at no charge to high school students under the age of 19.