Follow the Green Ribbon Road

Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination!

I used to work for a local school district. I had summers off, and they always flew by. I once had a boss tell me, “Once July 24 (which is a holiday in Utah) is here, summer is OVER!” She wasn’t wrong.

Before long we will again be acutely aware of school zones, crossing guards, small human bicyclists, and that occasional elementary child that may dart out in the street. Back-to-school time can be a little scary as we all get used to the start-of-the-year school-yard melee.

My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have “gamified” prevention in their quest to get every family talking about important issues like pedestrian safety, mental health, drug safety, online safety, bully prevention and more.

Green Ribbon Week is an annual safety program held in conjunction with the beginning of school to educate families and communities about pedestrian and bike safety and to ensure every child knows how to get to school safely. The goal is to empower parents to teach their kids the importance of pedestrian and bike safety in a way that they can 'experience' these important lessons through interactive family Adventures. This is done through the Green Ribbon Week–Pedestrian & Bike Safety Prevention Week Hunt.

Together students, their parents, and siblings can participate in activities that remind them to use the buddy system, help them recognize potential hazards en route to school, and even play pedestrian safety charades.

Students and their families need all the protection they can get. Want to get involved? Sponsor Prevention Week Hunts in a school you know and care about. How do you get involved? Email Info@RibbonWeekFun.com.

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Immediate Release

The Color of Prevention

My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have the answer to the home-to-school disconnection

My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have “gamified” prevention in their quest to get every family talking about important issues like mental health, drug safety, online safety, bully prevention and more.

Using Goosechase, a virtual scavenger hunt app, My Discovery Destination! has created “Discovery Hunts” that are geared to helping students and their families interactively learn how to stay away from a myriad of risky behaviors and get rewarded in the process.

But why ribbon weeks?

Sometimes we all need to be reminded of something important. Meagan Waite, program assistant director, says, “People used to tie a string around one finger to help them recall something out of the ordinary. And, throughout history certain colors have symbolized special, even sacred, events. In the last 50 years, varied colors of ribbon have been used to teach and remind each other about various prevention efforts. My Discovery Destination! has found a fun, unique way to involve families in this very important demonstration.”

Does it work?

Michelle Christofferson, Principal at Valley Crest Elementary in West Valley City, Utah, has this to say about using a My Discovery Destination! White Ribbon Week Discovery Hunt, “It was the first time that students came to school and were talking about our White Ribbon initiatives in the hallway with their peers. It was exciting to involve parents at home… In all my years of administration, I have never seen a White Ribbon Week so successful both at school and at home. We have thoroughly enjoyed this program.”

Ribbon Week Discovery Hunts are a game-changer for students and families. Speak to your school or PTA/PTO about bringing them to you. Want to try one out? From July 16th until the 23rd PTA/PTO and other school leaders can try out our “Green Ribbon Week - Mental Health Awareness” hunt. Download the Goosechase app and search for the game name or enter the game code “FREETRIAL” to get a taste of what Ribbon Week Hunts are all about.

You can find more information about Ribbon Week Discovery Hunts in general at RibbonWeekFun.com.

Media Contact:

Sharilee Griffiths

Director, My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition

Phone: 435-770-0748

Email address: Sharilee@mydiscoverydestination.com