It is a Y2K preparedness effort designed to equip teenagers to inform their peers and family members about Y2K, to assist in community preparedness, and to monitor the safety needs of community-dwelling elders and disabled people in their neighborhoods on a daily basis should any disruptions in services occur. Giving teenagers this informed and proactive role to play is a way of reducing the likelihood that they will themselves suffer trauma even as they are helping to extend the safety net for the equally at-risk elderly and disabled populations. Research has shown that it is not crisis per se, but rather the inability to summon an adequate response to crisis, that leads to post-traumatic stress. This program develops the capacity to respond. We encourage you to check with town hall to learn what organizations in your region are taking a lead role in community-wide Y2K contingency planning.
Every community is different.
In some locations, local government agencies are taking the lead. In others, volunteer organizations, churches, schools or neighborhood groups are taking the lead. In still others, it's a combination of organizations. Some local chapters of the American Red Cross will be offering First Aid training and possibly shelter management training. All schools are encouraged to use the Report Card to research and rate their own community, to see how ready it is to cope with potential Y2K disruptions.