Fifth grade students across Wisconsin are learning to be ready for disasters and emergencies through a new program.
STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning) is designed to teach students how to prepare for various emergencies
including tornadoes, flooding and storms and encourages them to share the information with their families and to develop
their own family emergency plan.
Wisconsin was the first state in the Midwest to launch the STEP program during the 2010-11 school year. It was
an overwhelming success. The program was developed by teachers for teachers and is offered to schools at no cost. Over
6000 students in 100 schools around the state took part in STEP during the 2011-12 school year.
STEP is sponsored by Wisconsin Emergency Management; the Department of Public Instruction; the Office of Justice Assistance;
the Center for School, Youth and Citizen Preparedness and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).