STEP Program

School bus

STEP is a free program designed by FEMA to teach students how to prepare for emergencies and disasters. STEP can also show students how to become leaders in family preparedness. The program is targeted at the fifth-grade level.

STEP asks teachers to dedicate one hour of class time to the base lesson. There are then up to 10 hours of optional lessons to reinforce the base lessons.

Participating schools receive ready-to-teach lesson materials, including DVDs, copies of student handouts and disaster game cards. Students also receive a STEP backpack that doubles as a starter disaster kit.

The STEP curriculum is available from the FEMA website.

As participants in the STEP program, students will learn:

  • General knowledge about disasters common to their area.
  • How to assemble emergency kits with their families.
  • How to form a family communications plan.

Interested? Please contact MEMA or your County Emergency Management Agency.