From South Florida comes the story of an intrepid teenager who’s developed a mini curriculum on hurricane preparedness to fit into school lessons.
Having suffered (or perhaps been enriched) from the impact of Hurricane Irma on her community, 16-year-old Elise Raurell created Storm Smart in 2015 as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award.
If it can be believed, Raurell says that South Florida schools don’t teach students anything about what a hurricane can do to a city. Guides on topics like how to prepare emergency kits, or safety information, like not entering standing water if powerlines are down, or keeping away from glass windows—none of it was being, and so Raurell thought she’d do it herself.
Not only that, but the Storm Smart modules allow students to teach other students, and be adopted quickly and effortlessly into any school or classroom.
“Growing up in South Florida, going to public school, I realized that we weren’t really learning anything about hurricane preparation safety, even though it’s super important,” Raurell told CBS News.
Over 500 students have received Storm Smart educational materials so far, some from Raurell herself, but many more from other students stepping up to take on the responsibility of disseminating the information themselves.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this program is seeing students learn the material and then go on to teach their peers about it, and through that learn leadership and teaching skills,” Raurell said.
Storm Smart materials are available through its website and social media platforms.
HEAR Elise explain her project below…
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