2013 Grant Funding Opportunity Bicycle Pedestrian Safety
Wise Rides Safe Active Transport Project:
Research opportunity for schools
Grant #: R44 HD057672-02
Ann Glang, PhD, Principal Investigator; Amy Birney, MPH, Co-investigator;
Bess Day, Project Manager
ORCAS is a research organization that creates multimedia training programs in public health and education. ORCAS received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to create a comprehensive school-wide approach to safe active transportation for middle school students. ORCAS worked with a nationally recognized expert panel to develop the Wise Rides curriculum which aims to educate middle school aged children and their families on bicycle safety. ORCAS is seeking middle schools throughout the nation to collaborate with to evaluate the efficacy of Wise Rides. Participating middle schools should regularly have at least 15 students riding their bicycles to school each day. The evaluation will take place in fall of 2013.
Rationale for the study:
- There is a critical need to increase awareness to provide all members of the school community with education on encouraging and reinforcing safe active transportation to middle school students.
- Students’ developing brains cause decision making lapses and make them easily distractible.
- Head injuries can cause more damage at this age than in adults.
The ORCAS Wise Rides safe active transportation program:
- Developed with input from experts on middle school students and traffic safety education.
- Presents critical and engaging information for parents and school staff on how the brain works, bicycle helmet use, and being safe on the road.
- Provides interactive education to students on bicycle helmet use, being safe on the road, and managing peer influences.
- Administrator training includes easy-to-use materials for implementing a school-wide approach.
What will schools do?
- Schools will be randomly assigned intervention/control groups
- Schools will conduct 3 formal helmet observations
- Schools will administer three ~20 minute surveys (over a period of 2 months – Weeks 1, 4, 8)
- Schools in the control group
- View an alternate bicycle safety website (1 class period)
- Encourage parents to take a survey
- Obtain access to Wise Rides website after completion of research activities
- Schools in the intervention group will implement Wise Rides Safe Active Transport School-wide:
- Teach the Wise rides curriculum (2-5 days of class periods)
- Encourage helmet use during a 2 week raffle contest (Incentives provided by ORCAS)
- Encourage parents to view the Wise Rides educational materials and take a survey
What will middle schools receive for their participation?
- Each participating middle school will receive up to $3,000 for their general fund; compensation is based upon the percentage of participation
- Intervention group will receive additional funds for raffle contest
To learn more about this opportunity, contact Bess Day at 541-349-4807 bday@orcasinc.com.
To learn more about ORCAS, please visit our website at http://www.orcasinc.com
TimeLine for Treatment
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Prior to Week 1
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q Helmet coders will complete an ORCAS led helmet observation online training via GoToMeeting (30 minutes) q Participating teachers will review the curriculum. q School will purchase and display raffle prize(s) and poster (included). |
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Week 1
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q All staff will view Wise Rides Study Introduction (on CD sent by ORCAS ~ 10 min) q Formal observation #1 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX results to ORCAS. At this time coders will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #1 (~20 min) after helmet tally is completed. q School admin staff will send email, flyers and/or newsletter announcement to parents announcing the study and encouraging them to view Wise Rides and take a short survey. |
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Weeks 2 and 3 |
q Teachers will deliver the Wise Rides curriculum (2- 5 class periods). q Helmet observers will record student helmet usage and fit every day for these two weeks and post helmet usage in a public place. (Poster– mailed separately. Raffle instructions – See "Other" section) q Helmet observers will provide feedback about helmet fit to students at the bike racks, so students can adjust helmets to fit correctly. q Helmet observers will distribute raffle tickets to riders wearing helmets correctly and post results of daily tally on poster (provided by ORCAS) q Raffle prizes will be distributed at the end of Raffle or during Week 4. |
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Week 4 |
q Formal observation #2 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX Tally sheet to ORCAS. At this time they will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #2 (~20 min) |
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Week 8 |
q Formal observation #3 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX Tally sheet to ORCAS. At this time they will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #3 (~20 min). |
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Post activities |
q ORCAS will inform school re: payment based on percentage of students who receive instruction and complete surveys. |
TimeLine for Control
|
Prior to Week 1
|
q Helmet coders will complete an ORCAS led helmet observation online training via GoToMeeting (30 minutes) q Participating teachers will review the curriculum. |
|
Week 1
|
q Formal observation #1 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX results to ORCAS. At this time coders will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #1 (~20 min) after helmet tally is completed. q School admin staff will send email, flyers and/or newsletter announcement to parents announcing the study and encouraging them to take a short survey. |
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Weeks 2 and 3 |
q Teachers will deliver the alternative curriculum (1 class period). |
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Week 4 |
q Formal observation #2 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX Tally sheet to ORCAS. At this time they will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #2 (~20 min) |
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Week 8 |
q Formal observation #3 - Helmet coders will record helmet fit on one morning and FAX Tally sheet to ORCAS. At this time they will not provide feedback about helmet fit to students. q Students will complete online survey #3 (~20 min). |
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Post activities |
q ORCAS will inform school re: payment based on percentage of students who receive instruction and complete surveys. |