U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Student Tools for Emergency Planning

Inspire youth to prepare with FEMA’s Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) Curriculum. The newly updated STEP is a modular emergency preparedness curriculum with fun activities that can be used in many different settings, inside and outside of school.

Geared for students in fourth grade and above, the program guides students on how to create emergency kits and family communication plans. At the same time, it teaches students about disasters, from severe weather to wildfires.

STEP includes three core lessons that can each be taught in as little as 30 minutes. Educators can also incorporate five supplemental lessons on specific disasters — severe weather, earthquake, fire, flood, and pandemic emergencies. A series of YouTube videos for kids, called Disaster Dodgers, helps introduce each concept, and an activity book offers 18 activities to reinforce ideas and jumpstart creativity.

Have you already taught STEP? We want your feedback! Click here to participate.

Image
STEP logo

Get STEP Curriculum Materials!

Find all of the resources you need to use the STEP curriculum here.

Disaster Dodgers

This series of five videos starring kids introduces emergency preparedness and management to students, highlighting severe weather, fire safety, and earthquakes. Two of the videos are used for STEP’s Core Lessons, and the other three highlight concepts in the Supplemental Hazard Lessons.

View the Disaster Dodgers Videos

External Link Arrow

Last Updated: 12/14/2022

Return to top