Building up Preparedness, One Classroom at a Time: Fourth Grade Preparedness Ambassadors Program Available for Educators

School is back in session, and here at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), we’re excited to join in on the back-to-school buzz. You might be wondering — what does Cal OES have to do with schools? A lot, actually! If you haven’t already heard about our Preparedness Ambassadors Program, it’s one of the coolest ways we connect to California schools.

Preparedness Ambassadors, a program based on fourth grade education standards, was created for students to develop and promote disaster preparedness guidelines for their homes, schools, and local communities. Why fourth grade? There are more than 450,000 fourth graders in California, and studies show that fourth grade is the “golden year” for curiosity. For Californians, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes are part of everyday life — making it crucial to start educating the public at a young age so preparedness becomes second nature for future generations.

To date, over 4,000 students in 61 schools in California have participated in the program—and that’s across 31 school districts in 26 counties! Wondering what makes it so successful? Check out the quick overview below:

Students dive into disasters like wildfires, floods, quakes, tsunamis, power shutoffs, volcanoes, and even tornadoes.
Lessons tie right into school standards — health, science, environment, and language arts.
Real California disasters are highlighted, when possible.
Built to fit any classroom — flexible, inclusive, and supportive of all students and families.
Hands-on fun with students: explore the Family Readiness Guide, make posters for the community, or ask local businesses how they can help during a disaster.
Every student walks away with a certificate as a Preparedness Ambassador.
Teachers can download the program straight from our website:
Cal OES Preparedness Ambassadors Program
No sign-up or cost — just jump right in.
Bonus freebies: stickers, bookmarks, backpacks, and magnets for your future Ambassadors.
NEW: the Preparedness Ambassadors Activity Book was created in 2023 and designed to go hand-in-hand with the program, making it even easier for teachers to bring emergency preparedness to life in the classroom. With the “Preparedness Squad,” students solidify what they learn in the Preparedness Ambassadors program through ready-to-use activities like word searches and crossword puzzles and interesting facts about each disaster. This activity book takes the guesswork out of lesson planning while keeping students engaged.