KANSAS CITY, Mo., (May 27, 2026) – The Research Foundation’s injury prevention program, ThinkFirst of Greater Kansas City, completed 115 programs at 50 schools reaching more than 13,500 children and teens during the 2025-2026 school year. 

ThinkFirst of Greater Kansas City is part of a national, award-winning program that offers free, age-appropriate programs. Health educators and brain or spinal cord injury survivors present the importance of making safe choices by preventing injuries to the brain or spinal cord. The presentations cover a variety of topics including distracted driving, promoting seat belt usage, sports and recreation safety, e-scooter safety, helmet usage, motor-vehicle safety, water safety and avoiding violence.

An educator provided the following comment in the post-program survey said, “The impact is amazing and so very educating. These students don't always listen to us about making decisions but hearing it firsthand is a game changer. This is a wonderful program, and we are so thankful it's available to the community."

Funding for the 2025-2026 program came from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Kansas Department of Transportation, and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. This support allows The Research Foundation to offer ThinkFirst programs to school districts across six counties including Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.

ThinkFirst of Greater Kansas City is now scheduling free school assemblies for the 2026-2027 school year. Email thinkfirst@theresearchfoundationkc.org or visit theresearchfoundationkc.org/thinkfirst for more information.