ICC Foundation: News Room

News Room

Cody the Cougar goes to school

Students at Hurley Elementary School (Rowland Unified School District) in La Puente, California, learned about building safety during Safe Community Week, March 7-12, thanks to a donation of Cody The Cougar Building Safety Activity Books provided by the International Code Council® Foundation (ICCF).

"Our school has been participating in Safe Community Week for several years, but, with tighter budgets, it has gotten increasingly difficult to find resources to use in the classroom to support this effort. We are very appreciative for the generous contribution from the International Code Council Foundation," said Mrs. Lony St. John, Hurley School Coordinator for Safe Community Week. The ICCF provided the activity books for the school after learning about their need from Kindergarten Teacher, Heidi West.

"Cody the Cougar and the Building Safety Team made a big impression on my students. I covered a few key points from the book every day of the week and the kids were very excited about doing the activities. One student was very enthusiastic about telling his parents they needed to put new batteries in their smoke detector," said Mrs. West.

Published by the ICCF, Cody the Cougar's Building Safety Activity Book includes coloring pages and activities to teach children about building safety issues such as escape routes, smoke detectors, handrails, hearth extensions, electrical outlets, etc. The book features Cody the Cougar, Designer Dan, Construction Connie and Safety Inspector Steve who help children learn that it takes a team effort to make buildings safe. The activity book was developed for students in kindergarten to third grade.

Safe Communities Week was established by the East San Gabriel Valley Anti-Gang Advisory Task Force and Operation Safe Community, coalitions made up of representatives from law enforcement, service clubs, schools, religious organizations, civic officials, community based agencies, and concerned residents, whose primary goal is to promote the pursuit of a healthier, safer environment for our children and future generations.

For more information about purchasing Cody the Cougar's Building Safety Activity Book for use during Building Safety Week, May 8-14, or anytime throughout the year, click here.