MAG to host annual school crossing guard training in July

Those who help kids get to school safely will have the opportunity to brush up on traffic laws and learn more about how to keep themselves and students safe just in time for the upcoming school season.

In preparation for the upcoming school year, hundreds of crossing guards will take part in regional training workshops the last week of July and early August.

The 2024 regional school crossing guard training workshops are sponsored by the Maricopa Association of Governments. Three in-person workshops are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• 9 a.m. Monday, July 22, Desert Ridge High School Auditorium, 10045 E. Madero Ave., Mesa, AZ 85209
• 9 a.m. Thursday, July 25, Steele Indian School Park, Memorial Hall, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85012
• 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, Rio Vista Recreation Center, 8866 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria, AZ 85381

The training sessions will last about three hours. Approximately 750 school crossing guards are expected to attend the workshops, while others will be able to watch recordings posted on the MAG Safe Routes to School website at https://azmag.gov/Programs/Transportation/Safety-Programs/Safe-Routes-to-School-SRTS .

The training to be provided will include essential crossing guard procedures, information on the health and welfare of guards, and resources available from police and fire departments to help the guards ensure the children’s safety as well as their own.

Special sessions will review traffic laws regarding crosswalks, procedures that must be followed in the crosswalks, and proper equipment that guards rely on to perform their duties safely and effectively.

School crossing guards who are interested in participating in the training workshops must register online no later than 48 hours before the selected event date and time. Information and the registration link are available at https://azmag.gov/srts , or by calling the Maricopa Association of Governments at 602-254-6300.