About Us:

Our Mission is to “Help reduce brain and spinal cord injuries through education”.

Injury is the leading cause of permanent disability and death among people between the ages of 1 and 44 in the State of Washington. Each year in this state 6,000 people sustain head or spinal cord injuries resulting in 1,000 deaths and 5,000 permanent, life altering injuries.

Over 750,000 students in Washington State have heard Think First’s important safety messages through our school assemblies over the past 15 years.

Meet our Staff and Board of Directors

National Program History:
The National Think First Organization was originally created in 1986 by The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). Neurosurgeons who had been involved in injury prevention were frustrated at not being able to cure or "fix" spinal cord or brain injured patients. Neurosurgeons shared the belief that prevention is the only cure, and that neurosurgeons have a duty to try to prevent these traumatic injuries.

History:
1987 National Think First Foundation established in Illinois
1989 Think First of WA established at Dept. of Neurosurgery @ Harborview Medical Center
1994 Satellite offices established around Washington State Commission
1997 Think First of Washington became an independent 501(c)(3), Board of Directors established and Speaker Training program initiated
1999“Think First for Kids” pilot program initiated in Washington
2001 “It’s a Guy Thing” media Campaign
2002-03 Think First covers King County Head Start Programs

Programs we offer:
1. School Safety Assembly- for grades K-12
2. Speaker Training
3. Community Education
4. Helmet Fittings
5. Think First for Kids Curriculum
5. Think First Statewide – Tacoma, Yakima & Spokane

View our 2003 Annual Report (pdf file 670k)

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