Safety Town

Safety Town is a two-week summer preschool program that teaches children all aspects of child safety. Founded in 1971, approximately 400 children attend Safety Town each year, learning how to make wise decisions in potentially dangerous situations, as well as how to handle emergencies in their young lives. Students learn about pedestrian safety by tricycling about a miniature village complete with streets, sidewalks, buildings, stop signs and a working traffic signal.
When and Where is Safety Town? Safety Town is held at one of Upper Arlington's elementary schools each year. A total of four sessions are offered. Morning sessions are held from 9 a.m.-Noon, afternoon sessions from 1-4 p.m. Children enjoy a graduation ceremony following completion of each session.
Who Comes to Safety Town? Children entering Kindergarten or first grade are eligible to attend Safety Town. Children must be five years of age prior to September 30 in order to qualify for registration.
What do Children Learn at Safety Town? Safety Town students learn about a variety of situations and what they should do to remain safe, including:
- Pedestrian and traffic safety
- Fire prevention
- School bus safety
- Poison/substance avoidance
- Animal safety
- Personal safety
Each child receives a Certificate of Achievement upon completion of Safety Town.
Who Teaches Safety Town? Certified teachers instruct the children in a classroom setting, while high school and college students supervise them out at the miniature village. Safety specialists from the City of Upper Arlington teach the children and provide demonstrations in their areas of expertise.
The program is directed by the Upper Arlington Police Division's Crime Prevention Officer, who remains on site throughout the program.