Health and Safety: Wheels on the Bus (or Van) Go Round and Round

Facilitated by Cynthia Townsend

Free and Virtual on May 13, 2026 from 10am-12pm CST

Transporting youth is one of the highest-risk moments in a program day—and one of the most important places to get safety right. The moment a young person steps into a vehicle, our responsibility for their safety moves with them.

Once responsible for moving 750 youth from all over the city of Chicago to its various community college campuses, Cynthia will touch on all things transportation; from forms, to routes, to waiting lists to supervision of youth while on the vehicles and all things in between. This workshop will cover a range of things regarding transportation in terms of people and equipment.

Objectives:
-Participants will review best practices for transporting children
-Participants will explore tips and resources for developing routes
-Participants will explore other topics related to transporting children – meeting stops, student selection, maintenance, alternatives etc

Audience: Administrative and management/directors and Youth Serving Staff

Cynthia is an educator with over 20 years of experience, having spent a large portion of that time as an administrator in the out-of-school time space. From curriculum and grant writing to hiring and training afterschool staff, she is knowledgeable of afterschool best practices. She holds her MA in Educational Leadership and is currently the founder and Director of Ideas, Knowledge & Strategies LLC a business support and education consulting company.