From Classroom Lessons to Lifelong Safety: Milo & Moxie Education Program Marks Three-Year Impact

Creating safer families and stronger communities begins with prevention.

While the Arizona Burn Foundation is committed to supporting burn survivors and their families throughout recovery, we also believe one of the most powerful ways to make a difference is to prevent burn injuries before they happen.

A Three-Year Partnership

This spring, ABF completed a three-year partnership with Cartwright School District and Phoenix Fire Department to teach elementary school students how to stay safe in their homes through our Milo & Moxie: Smart Safety Rangers™ education program.

The project began in 2023 with first-grade students at Sunset Elementary, Heatherbrae Elementary, and Holiday Park Elementary. Using interactive activities and memorable characters, Milo & Moxie teaches children how to recognize hazards, prevent burn injuries, and respond safely in emergency situations. Lessons include kitchen safety, smoke alarms and escape plans, sun safety, and when to call 9-1-1.

Each year, ABF educators and Phoenix firefighters returned to those same schools, gradually expanding the program to include second and third grade students. Over the course of the three-year project, 36 Milo & Moxie lessons were taught to 2,151 students, with support from eight volunteers who helped bring the lessons to life alongside ABF staff and firefighters.

The Impact: What We Learned

Just as importantly, the program showed measurable results. Across the three-year evaluation, students consistently demonstrated stronger fire and burn prevention knowledge after participating in the lessons. In fact, 82% of students maintained or improved their scores immediately following instruction. The data also showed that students were not simply memorizing information for a single lesson. Between semesters, students retained much of what they learned, with scores remaining remarkably stable over time. As students progressed through the program year after year, their baseline knowledge continued to grow, showing that repeated exposure helped reinforce important safety concepts and build lasting understanding.

These findings provide encouraging evidence that Milo & Moxie is more than a classroom activity — it is a prevention tool that helps children carry life-saving safety knowledge with them into their homes, families, and communities.

The completion of this three-year project marks an important milestone in ABF’s ongoing commitment to prevention education and our mission to help people Prevent. Survive. Thrive.

Thank You to Our Partners

This work would not have been possible without the support of our dedicated partners. We extend our sincere gratitude to Cartwright School District, Phoenix Fire Department, the participating teachers and school staff, and the many volunteers who helped make this initiative possible.

Together, we are building safer families, safer communities, and a future with fewer burn injuries — one classroom at a time.