Why Apply
AMA’s School Safety Patrol has one obvious goal: to help Alberta’s youngest road-users safely make their way to and from school.
We empower grade 5 & 6 students to guide their classmates across the street, safely. And while we’re proud of the work that patrollers do to protect their peers, it’s our duty to protect them too. That’s why we provide participating schools with access to AMA’s trusted training materials, equipment, and resources. We also help celebrate the achievements of patrollers by organizing special events that let the kids be kids.
How to Apply
Program Interest
Every great relationship starts with a conversation. So let’s talk! If you’re interested in joining the School Safety Patrol program, please fill in the form below and we’ll reach out!
Everything You Need For a Successful Program
Children Are the Heart of the Program
AMA’s School Safety Patrol is and will always be for kids. Although you will need a staff member to serve as your school’s program supervisor, it’s important to remember that adults won’t patrol.
Patrollers should be enrolled in grades five or six. In special cases, students in grades four or seven may be approved to participate in the program too.
It Takes a Team to Patrol
For safety reasons, we aim to see three student patrollers for every crosswalk. In some situations, a crosswalk might only need two patrollers, but three is often our standard.
In most cases, we recommend having at least 25 – 30 patrollers on the team, but our staff would work with you to determine the best number for your school.
Consent is a Must
When enrolling new schools, we like to have an enthusiastic “yes” from all parties participating in the program. Those include:
- Your local school board authority
- Your school’s principal
- AMA
Once your school has been accepted into the program, you’ll also collect the consent of parents/guardians for individual students who join your patrol team.
A Commitment to Ongoing Development
To help patrollers stay at the top of their game, we ask schools to take part in annual training and assessment activities. In addition to training and assessments, schools are asked to provide the day-to-day support for the program through:
- Scheduling patrol shifts
- Supervising patrol shifts
- Recruiting students to join the patrol team
- Regularly assessing the performance of patrollers & offering them appropriate coaching as needed
- Storing AMA provided equipment, and notifying AMA staff of equipment loss or damage
Crosswalks Matter
Because the safety of students always comes first, AMA will select which crosswalk(s) to patrol. For a crosswalk to be approved, it needs:
- A legal pedestrian crossing point (e.g. it has lines, flashing beacons, it connects to corners)
- Unobstructed sightlines for both patrollers and drivers
- At least 5 metres from drop-off/pick-up zones (including bus stops)
- A location close to the school
- A manageable volume of traffic
- No traffic lights, since these are considered a controlled stop; flashing crossing lights are still okay though
When getting in touch with AMA, it will be important to share the layout/configuration of your proposed crosswalk locations, since different layouts will require unique considerations. For example, the safety needs of crosswalks at four-way stops might not be the same as a two-way stop.
Traffic Enforcement is Best Left to the Pros
Our program does not replace the work of law enforcement agencies, nor should it. That means that patrol teams wouldn’t worry about directing traffic or enforcing legislation. We don’t help with parking either.