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By rdnewsNOW staff

School bus safety

Annual First Rider Program returns to central Alberta

Aug 11, 2025 | 1:29 PM

Central Alberta students will get the opportunity to learn about school bus safety ahead of the new school year.

Beginning on Tuesday, students and their parents are invited to take part in the annual First Rider program, which has ran each year since 2009.

The free event is set to take part in four central Alberta communities and is a collaboration between four school divisions including Chinook’s Edge, Red Deer Public Schools, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, and the Wild Rose School Division. Prairie Bus Lines are also involved.

Those in attendance will get the chance to watch a Winnie the Pooh school bus safety video, learn how to ride the bus safely when the bus is moving, practice safely entering and exiting a school bus, experience a short school bus ride, and participate in an emergency evacuation.

The First Rider event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. at multiple schools in central Alberta including at St. Joseph High School in Red Deer on Tuesday Aug. 12, and at École Deer Meadow School in the Olds area on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

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They’ll then continue on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at West Central High School and St. Dominic High School in Rocky Mountain House. Their final stop will be in Drayton Valley and area on Thursday Aug. 21 at Frank Maddock High School.

Each division will have coordinators and staff members at each location to help students and their parents.