April 2026
Spotlight: New Playground Safety Graphics
With March behind us and record temperatures across the U.S., April is the perfect time to talk about playground safety.
Many playground injuries can be avoided by picking the right level of equipment for your child’s age and abilities. Younger kids need lower, simpler structures, while older kids can handle bigger, more challenging play. When the equipment matches their stage, they’re more confident, have more fun, and are less likely to get hurt. We put together a simple carousel to help parents and caregivers understand what types of playground activities are appropriate as their children age. See the new graphics here.
Safe States Inspire & Ignite Learning: Innovations in Drowning Prevention
Part One: Inspire Learning
Starting April 1st, watch the pre-recorded webinar “Highlighting the Interconnectivity of Community Practice and Research in Drowning Prevention. This presentation will highlight actionable research findings related to high-risk behaviors associated with drowning in bathtubs or during Transition Points (time points during planned recreational water time when a child is not supposed to be in the water). Additionally, we will overview qualitative research findings related to water safety and swimming lessons for children with autism and discuss a swimming instructor training implemented based on needs expressed by families of children with autism.
Part Two: Ignite Conversation
On April 30th at 1:00 PM EST join the Ignite Conversation, a facilitated conversation about “the path forward” for drowning prevention. This conversation offers an opportunity for injury and violence professionals focused on water safety, drowning, and related topics to brainstorm next steps for strengthening the work. The conversation will guide participants to consider questions about building capacity to collect and analyze data around fatal and non-fatal injuries and systems-level prevention for high risk populations.
Find more information and links to the video and registration here.
Social Media Calendar
(View social media calendars here.)
March 30–April 5: Playground Safety
April 6–12: National Public Health Week; National Window Safety Week
April 13–19: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April 20–26: Lawn Mower Safety
April 26–May 3: Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention Week
Upcoming Events
Event: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Dates: April 1–30, 2026
In 2024, distracted driving killed 3,208 people. April, which is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, is a good time to regroup and take responsibility for the choices we make when we’re on the road.
More information here.
Event: National Window Safety Week
Dates: April 5–11, 2026
NSC and the Window Safety Task Force established Window Safety Week in 1997 to heighten awareness of the actions homeowners can take to establish window safety and fall prevention as a year-round safety priority.
Window Safety Week, the first full week in April, coincides with the arrival of spring, when people naturally want to open the windows and let in fresh air. The goal of this observance is twofold: for families to understand the role of windows in escaping a fire or other emergency and to learn how to safeguard against window falls.
More information here.
Event: National Public Health Week
Dates: April 6–12, 2026
Join us in Celebrating National Public Health Week, April 6 - 12, 2026
Ready. Set. Action! is this year’s theme. As we celebrate, take a moment to recognize how public health has improved our daily lives, safeguarded our families, expanded our life spans, and strengthened our communities. This week is also a chance to honor the public health workers who show up for us every day — and to advocate for policies and practices that promote good health for all.
More information here.
Event: World Health Day
Dates: April 7, 2026
On World Health Day 2026, WHO unites and mobilizes the world under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science.” celebrating the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet. The year‑long campaign spotlights both scientific achievements and the multilateral cooperation needed to turn evidence into action.
More information here.
Webinar: Better Communication for Better Health: A Conversation with Angela McGowan, JD, MPH
Date: April 7, 2026, 12:30 PM ET
Host: Public Health Communications Collaborative
This National Public Health Week, join PHCC Director Amanda Kwong, MPH, and Angela McGowan, JD, MPH, senior director of APHA’s Alliance for the Public's Health, for a 45-minute fireside chat exploring what this year’s theme, "Ready. Set. Action!" looks like for public health communicators. This session will explore the challenge of public health communications in defending science-backed research amid rapid public health restructuring and rising misinformation.
More information and registration here.
Webinar: Putting Our Heads Together: Head Restraint Interference
Date: April 14, 2026, 2:00 PM ET
Host: National Child Passenger Safety Board
Head restraint interference can be a headache! This session will explore what happens when vehicle seat head restraints affect CRS and booster seat installations. We will look at compatibility studies to help define the problem and review different manufacturers’ guidance on this topic. Researchers will present a new crash test series of twenty-four frontal and far-side impact tests to explore how CRS respond in crashes with and without head restraint interference. We will discuss other crash modes and explore how CPSTs can balance all of this information to give accurate guidance to caregivers who encounter head restraint issues in their installations. Presenter: Julie Mansfield
Register here.
Webinar: State Technical Assistance Webinar: Strengthening Connections, Strategies, and Data for Child Injury Prevention
Date: April 15, 2026, 2:00 PM ET
Host: Children’s Safety Network
Join us to explore risk and protective factors that shape child injury prevention, with a special focus on connectedness as a powerful, prevention-forward protective factor across injury areas, including suicide and bullying prevention. Together, we’ll explore how strengthening connections among youth, families, schools, and communities can reduce risk and build protective buffers that improve safety for children and adolescents. We will look at data sources that help identify populations at greatest risk, and support data-driven decision making.
More information here. Use this link to directly join the webinar (no registration required).
Webinar: Data 2 Action: Moving the Drowning Prevention Needle in Our Community and Beyond
Date: April 21, 2026, 1:00 PM ET
Host: Texas Violence & Injury Prevention Research Center
Join the Texas Violence & Injury Prevention Research Center for a timely webinar as we move into warmer weather and pool season. This session tackles drowning, a public health problem. Dr. Rohit Shenoi will share knowledge of the differences in burden and risk factors based on body of water and demographics is crucial when planning drowning countermeasures and when advocating for the safety of all persons in and around water.
More information and registration here.
Webinar: AI in Health Communication: Research, Tools, and Ethical Opportunities for Communicators
Date: April 22, 2026, 12:00 PM ET
Host: Society for Health Communication
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how health information is created, tested, and delivered. This 1‑hour webinar, sponsored by the Society for Health Communication, will provide health communicators with timely updates, practical tools, and emerging opportunities for integrating AI responsibly into research, campaigns, and practice. Designed for researchers, practitioners, and students alike, this webinar will equip attendees with actionable insights and a clearer understanding of how AI is shaping the future of health communication.
More information and registration here.