WASHINGTON -- In honor of American Red Cross Month, today officials from the emergency management and education communities joined together to help teach children how to prepare for disasters before they occur.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Department of Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona, and American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern read to 2nd and 3rd graders from Widewater Elementary School in Stafford, Virginia. The event took place at Washington, D.C.'s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
"Starting preparedness and disaster education at a young age is critical to creating the ready and resilient nation we all strive for," said Administrator Criswell. "Being prepared for a disaster starts at home. I encourage families to include their children in the appropriate stages of emergency planning. Free materials like "Prepare with Pedro" teach children about what to do before, during and after disasters and emergencies, which helps them feel prepared, not scared."
Criswell and others read from the American Red Cross' "Prepare with Pedro" book series in English and Spanish. The book series features Pedro the penguin, who joins his friends and learns how to be prepared for and take action during different disasters and emergencies like hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. This year, Pedro the penguin is celebrating his five-year-anniversary for educating children.
In 2021, FEMA and the American Red Cross jointly re-released the "Prepare with Pedro Disaster Activity Book" making it available in six languages -- English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and in both simplified and traditional Chinese. The activity book is available to download in each language on FEMA's Ready.gov.
WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell reads to 2nd and 3rd graders from Widewater Elementary School today at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington D.C. Criswell, along with American Red Cross and Department of Education officials read from the "Prepare with Pedro" book to teach youth how to prepare for disasters before they occur.
WASHINGTON -- American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern (left) and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona read "Prepare with Pedro" to 2nd and 3rd grade students from Widewater Elementary School in Stafford, Virginia.