In hopes of keeping rural children safe, schools, business, and local communities are coming together to teach the importance of safety through Rural Youth Safety Day.

Every year about 70 children under the age of 14 die on farms and thousands of children are injured, according to the the National Safety Council.

About 300 students from 10 Central Wisconsin schools attended 9 different safety sessions at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station on Thursday in honor of the 12th annual Rural Youth Safety Day.

Linda Copas, chairperson of Rural Youth Safety Day, says, "Whether a child lives on a farm or if they live in a rural community, there's always different kinds of things they need to be aware of whether in their own back yard, their garage, or local farms."

The hands-on sessions covered many issues including safety with small power tools, lawnmowers, and animals.

Jeff Breuer, Assistant Superintendent of the Hancock Agricultural Research Station, says, "These are topics that go across the board. Where everyone can be involved in and certainly come into contact one way or another throughout the students life."

Cody Lockhart, a 4th grader from Tri-County, says, "Well, I learned about electricity and how it's very dangerous and how you should never touch an animal unless you have an adult's permission."

Community members and FFA members volunteer their time to teach these life saving skills in hopes that the students will be able to apply them later on in their lives.

If you would like more information on how you can keep your rural children safe, you can visit Farm Safety for Just Kids at www.fs4jk.org.