The University of Michigan Concussion Center continues to support Pop-up Safety Town, an initiative led by Dr. Andrew Hashikawa, professor of Emergency Medicine,, who is pioneering a new chapter in injury prevention and helmet safety education by expanding Pop-up Safety Town into Florida and Georgia’s underserved neighborhoods. Leveraging a new partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) CATCH-ON program and the AAA Auto Club Foundation, this initiative can now bring a dynamic, hands-on learning experience to preschool children and families in other states. 

Initially developed at the University of Michigan in 2018, Pop-up Safety Town brings injury prevention education events to Head Start Centers in underserved neighborhoods to teach children and families about helmet safety and other injury prevention topics. The AAP CATCH-ON initiative seeks one program yearly to help expand pediatric “ready-to-go” interventions that can be impactful in other states. With a generous grant from the AAA Auto Club Foundation, allocated evenly between Florida and Georgia, this new collaboration led by Dr. Hashikawa and the team at the U-M Concussion Center will allow the team to provide expert insight to adapt Pop-up Safety Town in these two states. 

“This represents an exceptional chance to broaden the reach of our University of Michigan initiative, states Dr. Hashikawa. We are passionate about instructing pediatricians in other states on how to host Pop-up Safety Town, where we provide vital injury prevention education and free helmets to young children and families. With the support and expertise of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the University of Michigan Concussion Center, and the AAA Auto Club Foundation, we’re excited to extend our impact to preschoolers and elementary students beyond our state lines. Our goal is to instill lasting safety habits in children from an early age and empower families with the knowledge that can prevent injuries before they occur.”

The pilot program for the two new locations is slated to begin in Fall 2024 with events to be held in Spring 2025.