Bay Area LIFE: Learn how to prepare your kids for the next big quake!

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Back to School time offers parents an important opportunity to prepare and discuss survival strategies with children. Having a shared understanding of specifically what to do before, during and after an earthquake will increase the chances that families know how to survive and get back to normal after California's next damaging earthquake.

Experiencing an earthquake is frightening - especially for children - and knowing what to do can help children know how to react. For example, while it's a normal reaction to run out of a building when the earth shakes, expert recommendations are clear: do not run.

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Experts agree the most dangerous place to be is the area near exterior walls of a building. Windows, facades, and architectural details are often the first parts of the building to collapse.

It is important to teach children that the best move to stay safe is to drop, cover, and hold on. Helping children learn and practice a family emergency plan can help them feel prepared and know what to do following a damaging earthquake.

ABC7 has partnered with the California Earthquake Authority, or CEA, one of the world's largest providers of residential earthquake insurance, to help keep your family safe. The CEA encourages California homeowners and renters to reduce their risk of earthquake damage and loss through education, mitigation, and insurance policies to help repair and rebuild damaged homes, and replace valuables and personal belongings.

The CEA is not for profit, privately funded, publicly managed and not tied to the state budget.

To learn how the California Earthquake Authority can help you protect your home, click here.