ENGAGING CHILDREN AND YOUTH, VIA K-12 SCHOOL CURRICULA, TO BUILD A CULTURE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Abstract

Despite the impacts of natural disasters increasing across the United States, a significant percentage of Americans remain unprepared for disasters. Children and youth are disproportionally impacted by these events, but they also have the potential to be major assets in disaster preparedness. This thesis analyzes how to engage children and youth to facilitate behavioral change and build a culture of disaster preparedness. A comparative analysis of primary and secondary school curricula for disaster preparedness content, including case studies from the United States, France, and New Zealand, establishes a set of evaluation criteria, including curriculum scope; engaged learning; parental, school, and community involvement; and effective evaluation. This thesis finds that the United States could improve and expand existing curricula, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Student Tools for Emergency Planning program, and work to integrate disaster preparedness curricula into existing school safety and mandatory public health curriculum requirements. By reaching children and youth with disaster preparedness information, the United States can work to shift values and social norms around the topic, similar to past successes seen with such issues as anti-smoking and seatbelt enforcement.