2023-09-22 15:09:24
After the success of the first edition, “Unstoppable”, the digital civic education program to raise awareness on diabetes and inclusion, promoted by Medtronic, alongside Civicamente, returns. This year the initiative is expanding and, in addition to involving teachers and students of secondary schools, also aims at primary institutes. The program – we read in a note – intends to raise awareness on the issues of inclusion, with particular focus on chronic conditions and, specifically, on diabetes, with a view to encouraging integration and overcoming stereotypes, raising awareness of a more open approach towards others, oriented towards listening and sharing.
According to data from the Italian Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (Siedp), 18 thousand children and adolescents in Italy are affected by type 1 diabetes, which represents the most frequent endocrine-metabolic disease of the pediatric age, in which it typically begins. The pathology usually appears between 6 months and 30 years of age, with two peaks, around 5 years and between 10 and 12 years, which represent critical moments for identifying the disease. For this reason it is quite normal to encounter one or more students/classmates with diabetes in classes. Therefore – continues the note – it is important that school staff have correct information on the disease, on dietary and therapeutic needs and on how to deal with possible emergency situations calmly and effectively and that classmates are made aware of the pathology, without prejudice, and understand how from daily difficulties you can learn skills and resources to share with others.
Through the platform www.educationdigitale.it/unstoppable it will be possible to access material specifically designed for teachers, which can be used during civic education hours to spread correct information and the inclusion of children with diabetes, breaking down stigma and prejudice. The path, through effective training tools and engaging teaching resources, will allow you to acquire fundamental technical-scientific notions to be able to approach and explore the topics in greater depth, but will also allow you to train, through group workshops, open communication, identification and empathy: a real tool for liberation and overcoming stigma.
Thanks to advice conveyed by cartoon pills and engaging comics for the little ones in addition to the cases, interactive situational games and laboratory activities for the older ones, best practices, in-depth content and laboratory ideas, it will be possible to progressively get closer to diabetes, so as to understand it, to encourage the inclusion of people who have direct experience.
During the 2022-2023 school year – concludes the note – although it was aimed at first and second level secondary schools, Unstoppable achieved unexpected results: 1,071 teachers involved, 991 secondary schools, almost 50 thousand students reached and the award as “best CSR project: Diversity, equity, inclusion, sociality”: at the 10th edition of the Digital Awards. The free Unstoppable project is available to all teachers in Italian primary and secondary schools from 20 September. It will remain available on the www.educationdigitale.it platform also in the coming years.
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