Under the design for Under the design for change program we, the change program we, the students of Panchayat students of Panchayat union middle school, union middle school,

salaiagaram, koliyanur salaiagaram, koliyanur block,villupuram district, block,villupuram district,

tamilnadu took up the tamilnadu took up the project of crossing the project of crossing the

national highway to reach national highway to reach the school at peak hours.the school at peak hours.

GIST OF THE PROJECT: GIST OF THE PROJECT: Our school is located Our school is located

on pondycherry-on pondycherry-villupuram national villupuram national highway. Nearly 75 highway. Nearly 75 students cross the students cross the road every schoolday. road every schoolday. It is very risk to cross It is very risk to cross the road. so we decided the road. so we decided to find solution to cross to find solution to cross the road safely and to the road safely and to provide both parents provide both parents and students with and students with awareness.awareness.

PROJECT WEEK: PROJECT WEEK: 12.09.2011 to 18.09.201112.09.2011 to 18.09.2011

WE TOO ARE TRAFIC WE TOO ARE TRAFIC POLICE…POLICE…

Our story of Change from Our story of Change from the panchayat union the panchayat union

middle School, middle School, salaiagaram,salaiagaram,

Koliyanur Koliyanur block,Villupuram block,Villupuram

District,Tamil Nadu.District,Tamil Nadu.M.sugapriya,K.Kowsalya,J.IM.sugapriya,K.Kowsalya,J.I

yyanar,R.Suriya and yyanar,R.Suriya and S.PunithaS.Punitha

Mentor Teacher :Mentor Teacher : Mr.K.SeenuvasanMr.K.Seenuvasan

Step 1: FEELStep 1: FEEL

There are so many problems There are so many problems in our village , but the one in our village , but the one

that troubled us the most was that troubled us the most was crossing the road to reach crossing the road to reach

school safely.school safely.

During peak hours so many During peak hours so many two two

wheelers,buses,lorries,school wheelers,buses,lorries,school vans,share autos and tricycles vans,share autos and tricycles

pass on the road. It is a pass on the road. It is a challenge for every student to challenge for every student to

cross the road at that time.cross the road at that time.

We talked to the We talked to the headmistress of headmistress of the school the school Ms.R.BuvaneswaMs.R.Buvaneswari and took on ri and took on the problem of the problem of crossing the crossing the national highway national highway road safely as road safely as our challenge.our challenge.

Step 2: IMAGINEStep 2: IMAGINE

We We discusseddiscussed safe road safe road crossing ideas with our crossing ideas with our mentor teacher. Many mentor teacher. Many

ideas ideas came out such as: came out such as:

Power point slide show to Power point slide show to the students.the students.

Documentary film show to Documentary film show to the students.the students.

Act as a traffic police at peak Act as a traffic police at peak hours.hours.

Conduct a competition Conduct a competition program about road program about road

crossing.crossing.

Making awareness Making awareness sentences about road safety.sentences about road safety.

Advised the parents to take Advised the parents to take the children to school and the children to school and

back safely.back safely.

Making a zebra crossing on Making a zebra crossing on the road with the help of the road with the help of

highway authorities.highway authorities.

Making a barricade with the Making a barricade with the help of sponsors with the help of sponsors with the

permission of police.permission of police.

Why act as traffic police?Why act as traffic police?

We especially wanted the We especially wanted the p.u.m.s,salaiagaram students to take part p.u.m.s,salaiagaram students to take part in this idea. Because so many accidents in this idea. Because so many accidents are happening at salaiagaram. We must are happening at salaiagaram. We must create an awareness among both create an awareness among both students and parents.students and parents.

We decided that our school students to We decided that our school students to act as traffic police at peak hours. act as traffic police at peak hours.

Step 3: DOStep 3: DO

We made cut-outs We made cut-outs of traffic signs of of traffic signs of ‘STOP’ in ‘STOP’ in cardboard. We cardboard. We made this with a made this with a handle and painted handle and painted them with them with reflective colour.reflective colour.

We trained six of We trained six of our students in our students in handling the handling the traffic. They would traffic. They would show the traffic show the traffic sign ‘STOP’ to halt sign ‘STOP’ to halt the vehicles while the vehicles while other students other students crossed the road.crossed the road.

They will do it at They will do it at quick intervals quick intervals until all the until all the students crossed students crossed over to the other over to the other side of the road.side of the road.

With a few days’ practice With a few days’ practice the students became quite the students became quite used to handling the traffic used to handling the traffic and they no more needed and they no more needed assistance from teachers. assistance from teachers.

Every day in the Every day in the morning and morning and evening students evening students cross the road cross the road without any without any problem. Now they problem. Now they have found a have found a solution on their solution on their own for a long own for a long persisting problem.persisting problem.