Educators across the U.S. now have access to a free, interactive online course at www.allergyready.com that provides a comprehensive tutorial on managing anaphylaxis in schools. This tool comes at a critical time as new prevalence figures show as many as 1 in 13 U.S. children have a food allergy, and nearly 40 percent of those children have a history of a severe reaction.
How to C.A.R.E.™ for Students with Food Allergies: What Educators Should Know is the result of a collaborative effort among the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI), Anaphylaxis Canada, the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and Leap Learning Technologies.
“This course provides one-stop shopping for a thorough review of managing life-threatening food allergies in the school setting,” said Scott H. Sicherer, M.D., a prominent researcher at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a member of an expert panel that reviewed the program.
Available at www.allergyready.com, How to C.A.R.E.™ for Students with Food Allergies is the first online course about food allergies and anaphylaxis designed specifically for school personnel – administrators, nurses, teachers, and other staff – in the United States. Offering online accessibility and a high level of multimedia and instructional design, the course reaches schools in a way that would not be possible with in-person educational programs. The curriculum is based on FAAN’s Safe@School® program, and provides interactive education for school staff, with an emphasis on the need to create an allergy-smart school environment to help protect students with food allergies. The online course helps educators learn how to C.A.R.E.™: Comprehend the basic facts about food allergies, Avoid the allergen, Recognize the symptoms of a reaction, and Enact emergency protocol.
The course reinforces these facts by testing the user with questions using scenarios depicting allergic reactions at schools. It has been proven effective in research supported by AllerGen NCE Inc. and McMaster University.
“How to C.A.R.E.™ for Students with Food Allergies is an essential tool for school nurses, teachers, and other school staff who take care of our children,” said FAAN CEO Maria Acebal. “The knowledge that they gain from taking this course online could save a student’s life.”
“Food allergy is a significant and growing public health issue, and one for which there is currently no cure,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, executive director of FAI, which funded the program. “This online course, which is based on the latest research and best practices developed by physicians, educators, and patient advocates across North America, provides school personnel with an easy, comprehensive way to ensure they understand food allergies and are well-prepared.”
The online course was initially introduced to attendees of the annual conference of the National Association of School Nurses in Washington, D.C. in July by Christine Szychlinski, APN, CPNP of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
FAAN and FAI are working with educators and parents across the country to raise awareness about the new online course. For more information about the course and how to let a local school know this new tool is available, visit www.allergyready.com.
Thank you so much for doing this. My four year is far too severly allergic to attend school ( anaphylaxis 5x) but Im so grateful for advocates that spread awareness and educate the nature of this beast called food allergies. Thank you again!!!!
You’re very welcome!
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. We hope to make schools safer for children at risk of anaphylaxis.
Sincerely,
Dr Anthony J Levinson, MD
We have just learned that we have 2 students enrolling with peanut allergies. Is your course available for viewing or was it only presented on August 19? Thank you, Suzan
Hi Suzan,
yes – the CARE course is now available! Please go through our free registration form to access the course.
Thanks for your interest.
Sincerely,
Dr Anthony J Levinson
My son is allergic to all nuts. His school does not currently have a nurse. Furthermore, they have asked me to do a presentation to the staff on food allergies and re-train the staff to use an epi-pen. Would you recommend going through the CARE presentation as a group or having everyone do it individually? Are there any other slides or presentations you would recommend? Sincerely, Tina Bronner
Hi Tina,
Great questions. The teachers may go through as a group or individually but I would recommend individually so they all have a chance to think about and answer the assessment questions. There are a variety of resources in the course including links for more information on the topic. Good luck with your presentation!
Kind Regards,
Jodie
I am very interested in taking this course. Is there any way to have a certificate printed showing that I completed this course? I can use this course for professional development at my school.
We are working on a premium version of the course that will allow learners to print a certificate of completion. We’ll spread the word as soon as it’s available. Thank you for your interest in the course.
Sincerely,
Jodie
That sounds great. Will you e-mail when it’s up and running?
I just completed the course and found it very informative and well executed. Please email me with information that I may submit to my dept. of education towards my Act 48 hrs. Thanks.
whats your twitter?
You can follow us at @AllergyReady on Twitter.
Thanks for your comment!