The Community Safety Education Strategy (CSES), originally developed by Safe Saskatchewan is a provincial strategic framework that focuses on injury prevention, safety resources, and supports for Saskatchewan children and youth. The CSES recognizes the importance of community support, participation, and engagement in the transition to a province of safety excellence. The intended outcome is well-informed youth, surrounded by healthy physical and social environments in a community that supports living injury-free.
Why Do We Need CSES?
Preventable injuries are negatively impacting our communities growth and viability, putting undue stress on our health care system, and adversely affecting the quality of life for the people of our province.
Preventable injuries include both unintentional and intentional injuries and are the leading cause of death for people aged 1 to 34 years of age.1
Only a universal shift in cultural norms and positioning injury prevention as a core value will reverse the trend that is impacting our province. We need to change the way we think, change the way we behave, and lead this cultural transformation process to a point whereby injury prevention is a core value.
1 Yao X, Skinner R, McFaull S, Thompson W. At-a-glance – 2015 injury deaths in Canada. Health Promot Chron Dis Prev Can. 2019; 39 (6/7 June/July): 225-31 https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.39.6/7.03
Preventable injuries include both unintentional and intentional injuries and are the leading cause of death for people aged 1 to 34 years of age.1
Only a universal shift in cultural norms and positioning injury prevention as a core value will reverse the trend that is impacting our province. We need to change the way we think, change the way we behave, and lead this cultural transformation process to a point whereby injury prevention is a core value.
1 Yao X, Skinner R, McFaull S, Thompson W. At-a-glance – 2015 injury deaths in Canada. Health Promot Chron Dis Prev Can. 2019; 39 (6/7 June/July): 225-31 https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.39.6/7.03
How Can This Change?
Children and youth have a profound effect on behavioral change in society. Not only can positive habits be instilled, but young people can lead the cultural shift, and influence adults to be positive injury prevention role models. A solution lies in teaching future generations, injury prevention values at an early age.
Four pillars of focus were developed that we are dedicating resources to.
Four pillars of focus were developed that we are dedicating resources to.
Healthy Physical Environment |
High Quality Learning |
Supportive Social Structure |
Community Engagement |
Action and Implementation
We have dedicated significant staff resources to make sure that the goals of this strategy are turned into reality. Some of our work includes:
- Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education in 2021.
- Development of Career Safety Education where youth aged 14-21 can obtain free employment safety training and have an opportunity to receive a high school credit.
- An incredible staff team including a CSES Coordinator, Community Relations Coordinator, Content Team and Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP) all working together. With diverse skills and backgrounds ranging from a Masters Degree in Curriculum Development to a Canadian Safety Professional of the Year recipient, this is one of the most unique teams ever brought to injury prevention.
- An ever growing online channel of content focusing on video and printable resources that are capable of being widely distributed throughout our communities.
- Development of free safety training targeted to Saskatchewan risks that enhances safety throughout our communities and raises the bar of safety excellence.
