Alberta Safe Rider School Program

"Interactive, lots of student involvement. Good visuals, hands on examples. Presentation had lots of transitions, built in movement, not just sitting down. You did a great job, nothing comes to mind to change to improve things. Shared lots of personal stories and humor to keep students engaged. This program saves lives!" -Mr. Pond, Teacher, Vegreville Composite, Vegreville, AB

"Well set up, lots of enthusiasm and great experiences! Lots of great information and material for students to take home. The presenter knows and understands the high school students. Allowed students to participate and work with the equipment. Students were very engaged." -E. Hansen, Teacher, Vegreville Composite, Vegreville, AB

"Fast-paced, relevant, concrete examples, good use of media. Having sat through dozens of hours of health and safety meetings and presentations that were mind-numbingly boring, this was a welcomed change! It was very beneficial! The visual aids helped make the material more relevant and relatable to the kids, as well as Lori's personal anecdotes. Lori's manner of speaking did not come across as lecturing, but felt as though someone who had been through it and was sharing their stories. I think the program was very effective and I can't think of any suggestions for improvements. It was evident that Lori wasn't simply someone hired to do the presentation but someone who spoke with authority and experience. She was a very engaging speaker too! Many of our students come from farm families, and have grown up around machinery and some may take for granted the dangers of operating machinery. Yes I'd recommend this program, it forces students to rethink how they view recreational vehicles. Essential for any rural schools!" -R.Bowick, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Kingman, AB

"Presenter spoke clearly had a great rapport with students and a good knowledge level. She moved the presentation along swiftly keeping high interest. Presentation style 5+++/5!! Presenter communication skills and ability to relate and engage 5+++/5! So many families in the north have these machines and is very relevant and real and can save lives!" -Teacher, St. Mary's Catholic School, Sexsmith, AB

"Very knowledgeable with tons of experience to tell stories to relate safety topics to kids keeping them engaged. Really liked the decision making model (Teeter Totter)" - M. Kobelsky, Teacher, Vegreville Composite School, Vegreville, AB

"She had experience in what she was talking about, didn't just only talk about stats. I would recommend this program to other schools every 3 years to remind the students the dangers of all vehicles. Students should not only know the liability of highway vehicles but also off-road vehicles." -Janitor, St. Mary's Catholic School, Vegreville, AB

"I was very impressed with the content and facilitator. Interactive activities were very helpful for engaging students. All of the material was relevant and current and easy to understand. Great for students! Nothing to improve! The instructor was excellent. Just keep sharing your knowledge! Awesome Job! Safety starts start with education and exposure to proper information. Overall presentation was great!!" -T. Molnar, FCSS Director, Swan Hills, AB

"It gave the students something to think about, how they should use their machines. Good visuals, a lot of kids need/like visuals to learn. Presentation was very beneficial and excellent! Its hard to engage teenagers and get them to participate but the presenter did a really good job. The presentation was really quite good!" -Teacher, Grande Cache Community School, Grande Cache, AB

"The information shared was very informative, the presenter kept the kids engaged and there was a lot of interaction and activities for the students. Very informative, the off-road vehicles appealed and related to the students. I think they covered everything that needed to be covered. Amazing presentation! Students were drawn by Lori's experiences with movie stunts, 4x4 racing, and mountain sledding. She spoke clearly and kept the students engaged. I think all grades would benefit from learning about the dangers on OHVs without precautions. The presentation covers a lot of the dangers that relate to off-roading and snow avalanches." -Mrs. Lechett, Teacher, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Kingman, AB

The overall ATV Safety presentation was a 5/5!! "Lori is an excellent presenter. She had an excellent connection with our students and was able to sustain their interest throughout the entire presentation (Some of our students attended a double presentation for a total time of 120 minutes). Our program covered snowmobile, ATV, and avalanche safety. Lori was excellent in terms of her ability to relate to our students and managed to engage students that are typically non-participants in traditional learning environments. The backdrops, props, videos and gear kept the students focused and engaged. It was perfectly suited to our ‘hands-on’ students. This presentation was very relevant and valuable to our students as our riders are getting younger and younger. What better place to teach safety than in school. We would like to see this program again and are interested to participate with Lori in a Video Conferencing learning environment should this become available in the future!" - S Cummings, M Taylor, K McIntyre, Teachers, Sundre Learning Centre, Sundre, AB

"Really gets everyone thinking from many different angles! Materials and teaching methods had good variety. Presenter knows her stuff! Her passion comes through! The use of lots of props an visuals were very beneficial. I would recommend this program to other schools! Important info for teens who are thrill seeking, fun focused and low understanding of responsibility." - C. Pilkey, Mental Health Professional/Trauma Thearpist, Irma, AB

Perfect OHV Safety Program for our Grade 7-12 school

"The Safe Rider program presented by Lori Zacaruk of the Alberta Snowmobile Association was perfect for our Grade 7-12 school. It focused on the core concepts that OHV users need to know in order to participate in these activities in a safe way. The information was presented in a clear and age appropriate way and that included a good balance of story telling, audience participation, multimedia, data presentation and instructions. Definitely an enjoyable presentation that impacted students in a positive way." -A. Argento, Outdoor Education Teacher, Oilfields High School, Black Diamond AB

Alberta Safe Riders a 5/5! "The program was very informative, easy to understand and made the students aware of the dangers without being scary. Good for our younger audience. The instructor was/is an operator of the machines which made the material more real. Lori had a connection to the students right from the start. The visual display, hands on activities and interaction with the students was excellent. She is the best presenter I’ve seen.  Looking forward to the program returning in the future. Repetition is the trick." -A. Ungurian and M. Gerber, Teachers, Teepee Creek School, Sexsmith, AB

"The speaker had a very commanding voice and was very easy to listen to her important message. Was made "real" and "relevant" to each student personally. Great student interaction. Lori was passionate in her topic. We are a rural community and most studetns have access to this type of equipment and would want this program to be presented in our school in future years." -Teacher, Viking School, Viking, AB

"Provided much needed reinforcement of what the kids already know. I think some of them really thought about what the consequences of their behavior could be. Many of our students are quadders, snowmobilers and need to be reminded of what their actions could cause. The presenters did an excellent job keeping them engaged. This is a tough group - mostly adolescent boys - they are in the invincible stage and I could never get this to happen! Definitely recommend this program! Anything we can do to try to keep our kids safe is very important. Making good choices is something we need to keep emphasizing." -Education Assistant, Thornhild, AB

"Interesting, interactive, appropriate material, great Powerpoint. Great use of video clips. Students were able to participate. Very relevant for our students. Thank you!" - Teacher, Irma School, Irma, AB

"Presenter, videos, equipment and interactions were great and very beneficial. From an educational perspective the slides were well done, key info, fill in the blanks, all great! Visually attracting. I can't really think of anything to improve on!" -Teacher, Grande Cache Community School, Grande Cache, AB

"Great, interesting info. Interactive activities that were relevant and fun for the students. Visual aids were large and colorful. The students were interested in topic. The mix of sitting passively and than standing and interchanging was great. Presenter spoke loudly and with emphasis, interacted well with the audience. Our community has suffered numerous tragic events related to this presentation. I would absolutely recommend this program to other schools." - T. Sommerfield, Teacher, Fank Maddock School, Drayton Valley, AB

Perfect OHV Safety Program for our Grade 7-12 school

"The Safe Rider program presented by Lori Zacaruk of the Alberta Snowmobile Association was perfect for our Grade 7-12 school. It focused on the core concepts that OHV users need to know in order to participate in these activities in a safe way. The information was presented in a clear and age appropriate way and that included a good balance of story telling, audience participation, multimedia, data presentation and instructions. Definitely an enjoyable presentation that impacted students in a positive way." -A. Argento, Outdoor Education Teacher, Oilfields High School, Black Diamond AB

"Lots of different activities with the students, kept them moving. Real life experiences so they can relate. Presenter asks lots of questions, has knowledge of the content and experience so credible. Absolutely needed in rural schools." -B.McKenzie, Teacher, St. Matthews School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

"Excellent presenter! Great change up of activities, visuals, and videos. All beneficial! Excellent for kids to see and touch an actual quad and snowmobile. Program material was very beneficial, presentation style also very beneficial. The use of visual aids were excellent." -K.Whitston, Teacher, Leslieville School, Leslieville, AB

"Clear, fast-paced, opportunity for student movement and involvement! Lots of ATV's and snowmobiles used in our area. I enjoyed variety of the topics with lots of change in the presentation style - not just lecture. Real objects as display and props were useful, the accident videos were really powerful! The presenter was engaging, approachable, and had great management of student behavior. The presenter did not come off as superior or condescending. I would like to see this program back in our school, very important info presented clearly. This was very engaging, presented in a manner kids can relate to. The students listened and were attentive and wanting to be involved!" -L. Burden, Teacher, Killam Public School, Killam, AB

"Very knowledgeable and could relate well to the students, as most of them are also from a rural background. Easy to read and see. A variety of media made it more interesting to the students. She was very well spoken and engaging! Excellent presenter. This program is very relevant to this community. I would recommend this program to other schools!" -C.Caron, Teacher, David Thompson School, Condor, AB

"Excellent speaker, prepared, interactions for the kids. She knew what she was talking about and the kids could tell. Lots of kids use these types of equipment so I would like to see this program back in our school. Kids need a reminder from an expert on safety/not being reckless." -N. Manuel, Teacher, St. Matthews School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

"There was time for sharing experiences/stories, students were actively involved and engaged in scenarios, good videos and machines to observe. There was a great explanation as to why we have safety manuals, good videos that were not graphic, great use of props. The presenter was clear and made sure students were listening and engaged. She was very knowledgeable about the topic of the presentation. The topic was very relevant and students were able to be involved in the presentation rather than just listening." -Teacher, Teepee Creek School, Teepee Creek, AB

"The speaker was very engaging. the message was clear and impactful. The skit, the questions, action, videos etc. all helped to maintain focus. Presenter and presentation 5/5! Yes I would like to see this back in my school, many of our students are on these vehicles. The message is impactful, the time was used well and the students were challenged to think critically about safety." - Teacher, Namao School, Sturgeon County, AB

Alberta Safe Riders a 5/5! "The program was very informative, easy to understand and made the students aware of the dangers without being scary. Good for our younger audience. The instructor was/is an operator of the machines which made the material more real. Lori had a connection to the students right from the start. The visual display, hands on activities and interaction with the students was excellent. She is the best presenter I’ve seen.  Looking forward to the program returning in the future. Repetition is the trick." -A. Ungurian and M. Gerber, Teachers, Teepee Creek School, Sexsmith, AB

"The presenter did a phenomenal job keeping the students interested and engaged in learning the material. There was a variety of learning strategies used and a knowledgeable presenter which made for an overall powerful presentation. This is relevant and important for students of our little mountain town to know! I was 100% satisfied with all the topics covered no need for improvement! " -T. Munroe, Teacher, Summitview School, Grande Cache, AB

"Speaker has credibility, fast paced, very easy to listen to and interesting. Lots of information, good use of technology and audience participation. Material very relevant for students living in rural area. Good visuals with helmets, slides reinforced the information. Involving students help them to connect to the information. Involving students helps them to connect to the information and situations. Keeping kids moving helps them to stay focused and comfortable." -Teacher, St. Matthews School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

This Off-Highway Vehicle Safety Information was Extremely Important

"I was really happy with Lori’s Safe Riders presentation for our middle school students at Pine Grove in Edson. She immediately captured the kids attention with her display, which included a sled and a small quad. Her interactive style kept the kids involved and her personal stories about racing were really interesting for them to hear. But most importantly, Lori brought a wealth of knowledge about how to stay safe on quads, sleds, dirt bike and during snow sports. For a group of students in a rural community, the large majority of whom are involved in these activities on a regular basis, this information was extremely important. It is presentations like this that will help us keep our young people safe and reduce the number of accidents which occur each year. Thank you Lori!" -Helen Payette, Teacher, Pine Grove School, Edson, AB

"Great personal experience provided, presenter was very knowledgeable. She had great flow, well planned and engaging. Good videos and examples - engaging for the kids. Lots of personal, real life, relatable examples. She was very relatable and engaging for the students. Teaching through examples, cut and dry, not sugar coated. Given the area our school is located the info is very relevant to our students." -K.Whitesell, Teacher, St. Matthews School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

"It was very informative and important for students to learn. The presentation was engaging for even the younger students. It was great, no need for improvement. Lori presented it very well and engaing for students. This was important info for these students. This content is very applicable to many families in the community. 5/5 Very beneficial and excellent!" -Teacher, St. Matthews School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

The overall ATV Safety presentation was a 5/5!! "Lori is an excellent presenter. She had an excellent connection with our students and was able to sustain their interest throughout the entire presentation (Some of our students attended a double presentation for a total time of 120 minutes). Our program covered snowmobile, ATV, and avalanche safety. Lori was excellent in terms of her ability to relate to our students and managed to engage students that are typically non-participants in traditional learning environments. The backdrops, props, videos and gear kept the students focused and engaged. It was perfectly suited to our ‘hands-on’ students. This presentation was very relevant and valuable to our students as our riders are getting younger and younger. What better place to teach safety than in school. We would like to see this program again and are interested to participate with Lori in a Video Conferencing learning environment should this become available in the future!" - S Cummings, M Taylor, K McIntyre, Teachers, Sundre Learning Centre, Sundre, AB

"The instructor had everyone engaged. At the age they are all wanting to ride, staying at friends places with ATV's and snow machines. The presenter got students involved, asked lots of questions. The presenter was excellent, and the content was very relevant." -L.DeLaRoude, T.A, O'Chiese First Nation School, Rocky Mountain House, AB

"Very thorough, variety of activities, adjusted presentation for the audience.  Great video clips and lots of visuals in the Power Point.  I like when you emphasize when you make a good decision you own it and when you make bad decision you MUST own that too! Wish there was more time for Q&A.  Very knowledgeable with tons of experience to tell stories to relate to the topic of safety to the kids.  Kept the kids engaged.  I liked the decision making model (Teder Toder) you emphasize." -M. Kobelsky, Teacher, St. Marys Catholic School, Vegreville, AB

"Very engaging for the students. The drinking and driving scenarios hit home for this town. Extremely relevant topic for these small towns. Great examples in the slideshow, kept students engaged. Helped to have the students read the consequences of not wearing a helmet accidents in front of the audience. Presentation was very interesting for teachers and students. Impactful videos, especially the ones about close calls. Lori was a great speaker, kids respected the speaker. The series of contributing factors activity was very engaging. Great presentation! Great for our town!" -Teacher, Viking School, Viking, AB

"Hello Lori, Thank-you so much for sending the photos. By all accounts the presentation was thought to be EXCELLENT!!!! Thank-you so much for including our school as a stop for your program. We really enjoyed everything about it." Thanks! -L. Bahrynowski, AISI Lead Teacher, Wildwood School    

The overall ATV Safety presentation was a 5/5!! "Lori is an excellent presenter. She had an excellent connection with our students and was able to sustain their interest throughout the entire presentation (Some of our students attended a double presentation for a total time of 120 minutes). Our program covered snowmobile, ATV, and avalanche safety. Lori was excellent in terms of her ability to relate to our students and managed to engage students that are typically non-participants in traditional learning environments. The backdrops, props, videos and gear kept the students focused and engaged. It was perfectly suited to our ‘hands-on’ students. This presentation was very relevant and valuable to our students as our riders are getting younger and younger. What better place to teach safety than in school. We would like to see this program again and are interested to participate with Lori in a Video Conferencing learning environment should this become available in the future!" - S Cummings, M Taylor, K McIntyre, Teachers, Sundre Learning Centre, Sundre, AB

"Great info! As a parent or teacher we tell kids but it is great hearing it from another source. Very hands-on and visual. Wow, wonderful examples. Loved how you had students "pretend" to drive. The students were engaged the whole time. The presenter was very knowledgeable. She had the students get the wiggles out. Most certainly I want this back in my school. Very important for rural areas. Many students have access to OHV's." -T. Palamarek, Teacher, A.L Horton Elementary School, Vegreville, AB

"Kept students engaged while still providing quality info. Visuals helped the students to see exactly what was being talked about. Presentation was very upbeat and east to listen too. The presenter was very energetic and enthusiastic and the kids seemed to really enjoyed listening to her. Its very relevant to our students as many of them have ATVs at their home or ride them." - Teacher, Irma School, Irma, AB

"Lori was an excellent speaker. She kept the students engaged. She had them moving at times so they could refocus. By using a variety of students they were all engaged. Also using actual OHV the students were able to sit on them! It was engaging and applicable to many students." -D. Ratzlaff, Teacher, Irma School, Irma, AB

"Kept attention, age appropriate, and movement breaks were incorporated. Visual aids were all families, fun and age appropriate. The presenter was awesome! So perfect for the kids. All of these kids need to learn the "proper" safety rules. So I would like to see this in my school in future years. I recommend this for other schools. Its so important and very applicable to any students in any community. Everyone comes in contact eventually." -E. Cowle, Teacher, St. Martins School, Vegreville, AB

"She keeps students attention. Material was relevant. Like the videos she used to teach the students with. She had great control of a large audience. As a rural school the majority of the students use ATV's/Snowmobiles therefore I would like to see this program back in my school again and to be shown in other schools as well." -L.Salsbury, Teacher, St. Martins School, Vegreville, AB

"Materials helped keep students engaged and interested. Movement breaks helped students stay focused and were appropriate to presentation. She was excellent and provided time for the students to share stories and related topics to presentation. Great program for rural schools with students who have access to OHV. Valuable info that would be important to hear at all division levels." -Miss Rogers, Teacher, Mundare School, Mundare, AB

"Very good interaction with the group. Good pace and gave kids movement breaks. Many of my students are using these, but I know many are not practicing good safety. Love the emphasis on not loading the seats, I see it all the time." -Teacher, Seba Beach School, Seba Beach, AB

"Interactive, engaging and informative. There was a good mixture of videos, slides, and explaining. Great to have actual machine on site for the students to see. She did a fantastic job with keeping students engaged. A repeat of info in necessary for rules/saftey to skin in and register. This program was fantastic and at their level!" -Mrs. C, Teacher, St. Martins School, Vegreville, AB

"Explained well, provided pictures, got students to move and volunteer. Provided pictures which is great, brought students up to sit on machines and to do activities. 5/5! The presenter was nice and loud, good body language. Very relevant in our community. Good info for students to be aware of. I would recommend this program to other schools! Hits health outcomes!" -Teacher, Dr. Folkins School, Chauvin, AB

"Thanks for the movement breaks, loved that we got to practice the skills they learned today. Excellent balance of movement, practice and information. Awesome fielding questions and comments. Yes please! I want this program back in our school in future years. I hear lots of stories from my students about unsafe riding. This is absolutely needed in other schools, especially in rural areas. Lots of students have access to these vehicles and ride them frequently - often in an unsafe manner." -M. Lee, Teacher, Seba Beach School, Seba Beach, AB

"You kept their attention throughout the whole presentation with lots of movement breaks. Very beneficial program! Big screens and hands-on equipment was perfect! The presenter was very engaging and personable. OHV safety is an issue facing my community and this program is very relevant. It concerns me greatly that some of my students ride unsafely and without adult supervision. Excellent program!! So needed in rural Alberta. Thank you!!" -B. Chapman, Teacher, Dr. Folkins School, Chauvin, AB

"She did an excellent job with the age group, interactive and movement breaks were great. Very imformative and great visual cues. Good idea to actually have the snowmobile and quad. Loved that she included the students to demonstrate!:) It was well done! 🙂 More children and families are enjoying these machines now so its very important for children to be knowledgeable." -K.Beida, Teacher, St. Martins School, Vegreville, AB

"Polished presentation, excellent presenter, highly interactive, appropriate for age level, great sound system/volume, allowed student movement/sharing stories and experiences. Very nicely done presentation. Presenter did a very good job of maintaining student's attention. Totally at ease presenting to and working with younger audiences. I would like to see this program every year in our school, OHVs are part of life here. This is an invaluable educational opportunity for our students!" -A. Cota, Teacher, Sun Rise Christian Program , Grande Cache, AB

"Related to kids, kept it at their level. Got them up and moving, very interactive. Kept their attention by changing pace and lots of activities. Many use these machines so this is good/important info for them to have. Yes, I’d recommend this program, aids in life skills development and overall safety of school and community." -R. Zezula, Teacher, Caroline School, Caroline, AB

"Excellent presentations, doesn't need any improvements. Lori got the students involved. Excellent materials, visuals and presentation. Lori explained the ASA Safe Riders rules excellent. Lori is an excellent presenter! 5/5 VERY BENEFICIAL" -B.Horne, Educational Assistant, Mundare School, Mundare, AB

"Lots of variety of information sharing - great interactions. 5/5 Very beneficial! Great information provided. Even those that don't ride OHVs will remember something. I liked that you had the kids acting, working in groups, moving about. Great videos and information. Fabulous presenter and presentation! Information was relevant for the grade levels attending. Thank you for separating the grade levels (4-6) so it could be made relevant and age appropriate." -G. Stanger, Teacher, J.C Charyk School, Hanna, AB

Alberta Safe Riders a 5/5! "The program was very informative, easy to understand and made the students aware of the dangers without being scary. Good for our younger audience. The instructor was/is an operator of the machines which made the material more real. Lori had a connection to the students right from the start. The visual display, hands on activities and interaction with the students was excellent. She is the best presenter I’ve seen.  Looking forward to the program returning in the future. Repetition is the trick." -A. Ungurian and M. Gerber, Teachers, Teepee Creek School, Sexsmith, AB