Kamloops Brain Injury Association strives to raise awareness about brain injury, and to promote injury prevention in the community. Two of the ways we do this are by running the Grade 4 Injury Prevention Program and ThinkFirst.

Kamloops Brain Injury Association strives to raise awareness about brain injury, and to promote injury prevention in the community. Two of the ways we do this are by running the Grade 4 Injury Prevention Program and ThinkFirst. June is brain injury awareness month and KBIA presents numerous events to survivors and the public including our very successful Activity & Awareness Day in Riverside Park.

Our education and injury prevention programs include:

Grade 4 Injury Prevention Program

The Grade 4 Injury Prevention Program was started by KBIA in 1997 and has since been adopted across Canada. Each year we offer sessions to all Grade 4 classes in the Kamloops community. The students love this program and participate fully.

The Grade 4 Injury Prevention Program promotes awareness of brain injury and injury prevention through safe practices, and correct helmet use.

Survivors of brain injury play a key role in this program through their participation and sharing of information about their injury and the resulting impairments. This personal touch always seems to make the reality of brain injury much more meaningful and memorable for the students.

Presentations are booked from January through to the end of June. In all presentations, similar brain injury and prevention information is provided but adjusted to the seasons when discussing sports; in this manner the level of education is maintained so children are knowledgeable on the use of helmets regardless of the time of year or sport. Information about selection and fitting of helmets are also on the agenda. This fun and interactive presentation helps students take safety seriously.

THINKFIRST Brain Day

Thanks to the dedication of Dr. Richard Brownlee, starting this year the Kamloops Brain Injury Association along with TRU Nursing students will be offering THINKFIRST Brain Day presentations to Grade 5 & 6 classes in Kamloops.  This fun, hands-on half-day program integrates lessons in neuroanatomy and the five senses with brain and spinal cord injury prevention education.  Students love that for a half day their classrooms become laboratories and they become Sense Explorers. Check out ThinkFirst Canada - www.thinkfirst.ca for more information.

Activity & Awareness Day

The Kamloops Brain Injury Association, with the support of the City of Kamloops Parks and Recreation, promotes Brain Injury Awareness Month in June by holding an annual Activity and Awareness Day.   This event is held at Riverside Park and is open to everyone.  It provides a great opportunity for the public to learn about brain injury and injury prevention and is organized by the Kamloops Brain Injury Association in support of those individuals who face the challenges presented by the outcomes of brain injury.  Fun filled family activities are scheduled throughout the day as well as music and games—all aimed at spreading the prevention message; and ultimately reducing the incidents of accidents and the resulting brain injury.

Fall Prevention

Interior Health states that falls are one of the highest causes of head trauma.  One third of people over 65 have a fall each year and the risk of falling increases as age rises.  The Kamloops Brain Injury Association works with clients, who often suffer from balance problems, providing fall prevention and safety education.  

Helmet Reward Program

Each year the Kamloops Brain Injury Association seeks grants to hire two summer students to run our Helmet Reward Program.  The focus of the program is to have a visible presence at community parks, skate parks, and recreational sites rewarding youths for wearing the appropriate safety gear (helmets, knee pads, etc.) when operating small wheeled vehicles such as bikes, skateboards and roller blades.  The goal is to reduce the risk of personal injury to youths when engaging in sporting events / activities. The students prowl the parks and high traffic areas where youth are likely to be participating in wheeled sports.  Those sporting adequate head gear are rewarded handsomely thereby encouraging their peers to wear the gear.

Community Awareness

Watch for the Kamloops Brain Injury Association out in the community with brain injury awareness and education booths!  Check out these events on our calendar.

Websites of interest:

• Access Kamloops is a free, regularly updated directory connecting residents of Kamloops with a wide variety of not-for-profit resources. www.accesskamloops.org/default.htm
• Brainstreams’ mission is to improve education on the brain and brain injuries, help reduce isolation and promote opportunities for collaboration. www.brainstreams.ca
• MayoClinic is a website where clinical experts provide current medical information and news on health topics. www.mayoclinic.com/health/traumatic-brain-injury/DS00552
• Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide www.tbiguide.com
• Safe Kids Canada’s mission is to lead and inspire a culture of safety across the country in order to reduce unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children and youth in Canada. www.safekidscanada.ca/SKCForPartners
• Wipeout is a documentary made about brain injury and extreme sports. wipeout.knowledgenetwork.ca/wipeout.html
• Understanding Brain Injury Video www.injurytv.com/doctors/allen.html
• Preventable.ca is a non-profit organization whose goal is to significantly reduce the number – and severity – of preventable injuries in BC. www.preventable.ca
• The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit provides injury prevention knowledge. www.injuryresearch.bc.ca
• The website and blog of an amazing individual who is running across Canada to raise awareness of brain injuries. http://www.runtoremember.com/

Upcoming Events

For more information about any of our upcoming events please contact KBIA @ 250.372.1799.